


Plateau

by Laina_Inverse, RiaHawk



Series: Subvania [3]
Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), Subnautica (Video Game)
Genre: Disassociation, Mental Illness, Multi, Platonic Love is Real Love too, Polyshipping, See first fic for pairings, This is STILL Ria's fault 8p, complicated family relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:40:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 67,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21828343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laina_Inverse/pseuds/Laina_Inverse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiaHawk/pseuds/RiaHawk
Summary: Even with a solid planetary claim to 4546B, Adrian Tepes still has his share of problems. People expect him to lead, to select the crews he'll take back to the newly dubbed Atlantis, and to be the face of whatever planetary government may arise. He really wants none of that, he just wants to finally make it back home where he truly belongs.All they have to do is survive six months to a year on Athena. Can it really be that hard?
Series: Subvania [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1320176
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part three? Part three. And if I get my hands on SubZero, there's gonna be part four. XD
> 
> For reference; Charri is pronounced with the SH sound. Also, spatz means sparrow.

One

_Personal log; Anna Torres_

_It's sad how it's unnerving to me when everything goes off without a hitch. Everything was packed and ready to be shipped out with us, and some of it even beat us to the new place! Mr. and Dr. Tepes promised they'll have the place minimally set up so that we can handled planetary lag and get used to the thirty hour days of Athena._

_We have another week on board this ship, and I have to say, Adrian is doing very well. I was worried, but the tune appears to be what he needed, and he's even admitted that it's much more fun than being asleep would have been._

_Once we land on Athena-_

“Anna, put the datapad down already, we're going to be late!” Sypha said, sticking her head into the room. “You know you're not allowed to order room service, not tonight!”

Anna rolled her eyes tolerantly and saved her progress, then closed the journal tab before she hooked it onto her belt.

“Yes yes, I'm coming.”

Sypha beamed, blowing her a kiss and ducked out as Anna got to her feet.

The _Mitigation_ was a luxury transport liner; it hadn't been anyone's first choice until Adrian had reminded them that they didn't need to travel on a spacer's version of a semi-rig. It had taken him a bit of talking to convince them all, but eventually they had agreed.

Which was why they were now traveling more or less in a style beyond what any of them _but_ Adrian was used to. It was about the same size and style as the _Pirouette,_ the ship that had brought them from the space lanes to Torrens, the home planet of the Alterra trans-gov, but their accommodations had been heavily upgraded, fitting more Adrian's style of living than her own.

She was putting up with it to the best of her abilities, but there were days where she looked at the surrounding luxury and wondered just what she was doing there....

Anna sighed a little and absently patted some loose strands of hair back into place, studiously ignoring the mirror as she passed it by; dressing up wasn't her favorite thing either, but it was their night to dine with the captains of the ship, as part of the higher-paying guests and Adrian's own status as the son of the owner of Tepes Industries.

Being both his wife and still the only medic he really tolerated around him meant that usually where he went, she followed. She did her best to give him space when he needed it, but the decade of solitude, and then the attempt at fitting himself into his old life—an attempt that had lasted almost a year before he'd been unable to hide the truth any longer—had left him fragile and in constant need of at least one of them that he could trust within sight.

Usually that duty was hers, and she never much minded it. She loved Adrian with everything she had; he made all the broken, brittle parts fit back together into something resembling humanity, and even if they sometimes cut themselves on the edges, talking would often resolve whatever issues there were; if not with each other, than with the other two that made up their family; her cousin Trevor, and Sypha, who had the double title of Trevor's fiance, along with being Anna and Adrian's girlfriend.

“Where's your head at?” Trevor teased as she paused to grab her shoes. “You're usually the one most put together!”

“No, that's Sypha. Compared to her, we're all just human disasters waiting for a bowling ball to knock us over,” Anna retorted.

Sypha snickered, leaning up to kiss Trevor's cheek as he sighed dramatically.

“Fine, fine, _after_ Sypha, then. Reading?”

Anna shrugged lightly, smoothing her skirt with nervous hands. Adrian smiled at her gently, and contently looped his arm through hers, leaning down to kiss her temple lightly. It warmed and soothed her, as he so often did, and she leaned against him softly.

“Are we ready, then?” he asked, raising a mock-thoughtful eyebrow at Trevor. “Your tie is missing.”

“I don't feel like being choked,” Trevor retorted. “Besides, you're one to talk. Where's the floofy cravat?”

Sypha and Anna exchanged tolerant stares before Sypha pushed Trevor firmly towards the door.

“Come on. We're not doing extremely formal dining, and we're not going to be the only ones there. We don't want to be late, because that would be rude, and we're already planning to not linger because that will exhaust both Adrian _and_ Anna,” she said.

“Are you two planning something extra for after?” Adrian asked, his soft voice warm and fond.

“There's a dance happening three decks down about an hour after dinner starts,” Trevor replied.

“Well, that explains the less than formal clothing.”

Anna elbowed him gently, and he chuckled softly, gently squeezing her hand.

“Aren't you two going to do anything?” Sypha asked.

“We hadn't discussed anything, no,” Anna replied.

“You've both been major shut ins,” Trevor commented as they entered the main corridor. “You should at least check out the botanicals. It's a lot nicer than I expected.”

“You were bored silly,” Sypha replied dryly.

“Well, yeah, but it looked nicer than the stuff that was on the other ship,” he retorted mildly. “I'm just kind of surprised, is all.”

“There's a lot of people on the ship, Trevor,” Anna pointed out as Adrian's hand tightened a little on her arm. “We've been trying to _de_ -stress. People don't exactly loan themselves to easy interactions, and the less we have to pretend, the better.”

They had all learned the hard way that Adrian could fake the appearance of wellness even when he really ought to speak up. Anna was not entirely inclined towards letting him get to that point again.

But...

“....would you mind going to look at the botanicals?” Anna asked, looking up at Adrian curiously.

“I would like that, I think,” and his smile was fond, steady enough to be reassuring. “We have admittedly been rather... hermity.”

“We have...”

Though admittedly hermity was better than dealing with awkward questions, some of which had been asked directly to her face. She still hadn't decided just _how_ insulting it was that a fellow passenger had implied that they were together for any reason other than being in love. True, Adrian's reply had been wonderfully cutting, but it still produced a hollow, uncomfortable feeling in her.

As if sensing her mood, Adrian's arm slipped around her shoulders and he snuggled her close, pressing a quick, soft kiss to her temple. She leaned on him fondly, and did her best to push the uncomfortable feelings aside; Adrian loved her, and she loved him, and it really shouldn't have mattered what another passenger thought about their marriage.

She slipper her free arm around his waist and curled her fingers loosely in his shirt as together, they entered the semi-formal dining hall.

-

Adrian watched with a soft smile as Anna looked up at the tall palm-styled tree, eyes wide. It was always so much fun to watch her while the expressed delight, watching the blossoming grin and the way her eyes would glitter. Few things made her expressive, but plants, according to Trevor, had always been one of them.

“...you know, I bet if we paid Trevor, he'd climb it,” he teased gently.

“You wouldn't have to pay him,” she snorted a little, tipping her head back slightly to smile up at him. “Just dare him, he'll do it. But also, don't, because that would get us all in trouble, and it's not nice to the tree either.”

He chuckled softly, and kissed her forehead.

“Yes, my light,” he said fondly. “No telling the impulsive one that he'd be very amusing stuck in a tree.”

She elbowed him gently, giggling, and he snuggled her softly as they continued to wander. He could feel, as they did, little bits of tension in her easing off. She wasn't good in formal situations, didn't much care for them, or the necessary small talk, but she put up with them for his sake.

“He wouldn't get stuck,” she said after a moment, loosely twining her fingers with his. “Trevor's not scared of height.”

“No?”

She shook her head slightly.

“He likes them. He used to tease me all the time about getting up into high places and needing to be rescued...”

“You _don't_ like heights, then.”

She shook her head and he smiled a little, nuzzling at her gently. Anna didn't often talk about herself, and most of what he gleaned was through observation, or something shared by Trevor or Sypha.

He'd known her for four months while on 4546B—newly named Atlantis with the finalization of his planet claim—one on the Pirouette, and then a further nine on Torrens. Some people would have claimed that was not enough time to know someone, but he was of the opinion that he knew _enough_. He knew that his life would not be the same without her, or the other two in it.

“Well.... technically I'm okay with them,” she said after a thoughtful moment. “It's... _down_ that I have problems with.”

Adrian huffed an amused chuckled and nuzzled her again.

“Well, we won't be doing much with heights while we live on Athena,” he said reassuringly. “The house is on a gentle slope, and it's not exactly recommended that the trees be climbed. The local aviary population gets a bit _tetchy_ with people when they do that.”

“Tetchy?”

“They dive bomb people,” he said dryly, half-smiling in memory. “Usually tourists who have already been told they shouldn't do that, but insist upon doing it anyways. They're a little like old Earth corvids; fiercely smart and protective. If you wrong one group, you'll quickly find yourself running from a large mob any time you wander near the trees.”

“....that sounds like _experience_.”

“....well, yes. In my defense, I was twelve.”

She giggled at him, and he smiled ruefully. It had been an adventure, and both he and Johnathan had paid for it for several weeks before his mother had given him the fruits and seeds that would appease the creatures.

“It made summer interesting, I can say that much...”

But not much more; the kharaa infection and the subsequent decade in the depths of Atlantis had done a number on memories of his early childhood. It made him wonder a little, if Anna suffered something similar. He knew from conversations with Trevor that their childhood had been harsh, full of emotional neglect and verbal abuse; it wasn't uncommon for people who suffered such issues to block out the memories of their childhood.

“...Adrian?”

He blinked a couple of times, then glanced down at her, smiling ruefully at the worried expression on her face.

“Apologies. I was... thinking. Not drifting. Promise.”

She studied him with those large, green eyes he loved, then nodded a little, snugging her head back against his shoulder. He kissed her temple softly, letting his cheek rest briefly on her hair. Her concern was not unwarranted, considering all the events that had more or less bombarded them over the past nine months, and she was doing her best to not smother him with questions.

Lightly he squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him again, away from a flower that looked to be subtly glowing at it's center.

“Are you doing all right?” he asked.

Anna blinked, clearly taken aback by the question.

“I know the dinner wasn't exactly your idea of a good time...”

Anna blinked again, then offered him a half-smile.

“It wasn't any worse than the galas.”

He huffed a little, and tucked her close for a moment. The galas, when he'd been working as part of the Alterra trans-gov board of directors, had arguably been his worst idea to date.

“I could argue against that,” he said after a moment. “You actually had people talking to you.”

She laughed, and elbowed him gently.

“I'm not as personable or charismatic as Sypha or Trevor, but I don't _mind_ people, Adrian,” she said, her tone lightly amused. “No one was asking anything personal, or implying anything, and once the conversation was over, they left me alone. I wasn't ignored, I just chose not to engage. It's very different.”

Reminded of the one fool who'd questioned their reasons for being together, his mood soured; that had been their first night on the ship, when it had felt like everyone was staring at them, and he hadn't been at his best. True, they were still considered somewhat famous—or perhaps infamous was the proper term—for surviving a planet that had tried very hard to kill them, and him longer than most, so the staring was somewhat to be expected, but....

Her hand rubbed little circles on his back and he let out a slow breath.

“It's all right, Adrian,” she said, head tucked snugly against his chest. “It's all right.”

It wasn't, not really, but he appreciated her trying. How could it be all right that someone had dared to say that Anna was only there for the money? _How_ could it be all right that they had gone on to imply that she must have had some _other_ hold on him, that she was no great beauty?

“Hey. Adrian.” She tugged at him, and he released the breath he'd been holding abruptly as her hands cup up to cup his face. “No. Let it go. They're not worth the effort of being angry about, not when they don't understand.”

He sighed, and rested his chin on top of her head as he returned to snuggling her, letting his breathing even out and steady.

“I know,” he said finally. “You're right, I just....”

She shifted, and tugged him down a little so that she could kiss his cheek.

“No,” and her voice was stern, but her eyes were soft, glimmering with amusement. “We just have to make it through one more week until we dock at the spaceport in Chillia. We don't need to think about other people, or care about what _they_ think, because it doesn't matter.”

He smiled at her, unable to help himself. Anna hated conflict, and went out of her way to avoid it; it was sometimes a problem, but in this case, she was probably entirely correct.

“All right, all right. I will leave any revenge plots to Trevor.”

Anna snorted, and pushed him gently as they resumed walking.

“How about we don't. There's nothing to get revenge _about_.”

Adrian silently disagreed—he'd seen the creeping doubts that had come from that person's hurtful words—but elected to let the conversation go. It wasn't relaxing for either of them, and he _did_ want to enjoy the walk among the plants without heavy discussion.

“Oh, look! There's an Earth weeping willow!”

Smiling, Adrian obligingly picked up the pace as she moved towards it; this part of the botanicals was set up rather like a park, with grass and benches, instead of plants tucked behind fences and barriers. The stream that wrapped around the willow was virtual, but it added to the ambiance, and he felt himself relaxing even as they stepped under the long, drooping branches.

Anna stopped short with a small squeak, and he looked down to see that a small child had run into her, plopping backwards on the grass.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” and Anna crouched down, offering her hand. “Are you hurt?”

The child looked to be around seven, give or take a year on either side; coppery skin was marred gently by a mixture of freckles, grass stains, and dirt, much like their clothes. A twig or two stuck out from the short afro, and hazel-brown eyes regarded Anna uncertainly for a moment before the hand landed in hers.

“Starie! Where did you-oh!”

Adrian straightened, blinking in surprise, then smiled a little as Dr. Eliza Zenni approached them. Granddaughter of Liesse, they had met on the Pirouette; she had been one of the few medics he could tolerate, and he was pleased to see her again after almost a year.

“Dr. Zenni,” he said with a faint nod of warmth. “It's been a long time.”

“It has, Mr. Tepes,” Eliza replied, surprise fading into a tentative sort of pleasure. “If I had known you were on the ship...”

“We've been trying to keep stressors to a minimum,” he replied, shaking his head gently. “I've spent most of the journey in our cabin, and am quite pleased to spend the rest of it there as well; this was just an... indulgence for my darling wife. Are you working?”

Anna squeaked a little, and he glanced over to see her blushing. It made him grin a little; they had only been married for three months, and it was entirely too much fun to see her react that way.

Eliza chuckled a little, and held her hand out to the child—Starie—who scampered over quickly, clinging to the outstretched hand.

“No, no. Moving, actually, to Adoins on Athena. Would you be up to meeting my partner?”

Adrian glanced at Anna, who smiled and nodded.

“Certainly. I think we'd like that very much.”

-

Anna listened with half an ear as Adrian and Eliza chatted, though she didn't feel the need to interject; it had been somewhat awkward between Adrian and Eliza when they'd left the Pirouette, and she was willing enough to let them walk their way towards a possible friendship. Inasmuch as she'd been able to get to know the other woman, she'd liked her too, and it would be nice to have another friend who was also a doctor.

The person they approached turned at the voices, and Anna found herself smiling a little shyly at them. About her height, they were plump in a manner that suggested comfort as well as strength, and dressed in bright colors that popped against their black skin. The locs they wore were laced with pink and blue strands, tied back with a white scarf, and they held another child in their arms, who looked to be around three years old.

“Mr. Tepes, Dr. Torres,” Anna jumped slightly; she hadn't expected to be addressed like that, as most people assumed she was 'Mrs. Tepes' before being corrected. Had Adrian mentioned that while she hadn't been listening? “This is my spouse and partner, Dr. Charri Bellerose. The small one is Liesse, for my grandmother. And this little _spatz_ at my heels is Starie. Charri, this is Mr. Adrian Tepes, and his wife, Dr. Anna Torres.”

“A pleasure,” Charri said, offering one hand for both of them to shake. “You're the ones who survived that planet, aren't you?”

“Yes,” Adrian nodded a little. “We're working to get back there, actually.”

“Really?” and two pairs of eyes went wide in surprise. “Is that a wise idea?”

Adrian half-shrugged.

“I suppose logically it's probably not,” he admitted. “But... I will always live there in some manner. With the planet now legally mine, and my.... other issues, going home seemed the best solution to keep myself intact.”

When Eliza looked at Anna, she nodded in agreement.

“We're utilizing funds and equipment from Tepes Industries, so it's a slow undertaking,” she said. “We're likely to be living in Gresit for at least a year, year and a half before we go to Atlantis. My cousin and his-”

“Spouse?” Adrian suggested with a grin.

“...you know, by that point, they probably _will_ be married,” Anna replied wryly. “Anyways, Trevor and Sypha are going with the first load of people and equipment. We're hoping to get the Apollo trans-gov interested in putting up a phasgate or three along the route so that it doesn't take two years for follow up trips, but even if it does, we'll be on the next ship out to the planet.”

“It sounds like an impressive... and difficult, undertaking.”

Adrian nodded, and smiled wryly.

“Most of it will be in my father's hands. I may lay claim to the planet, want to live there and study it, but I do not.... quite have the mental state that would allow me to run the show. Fortunately, my father is used to this sort of thing, if on a smaller scale, and graciously volunteered time, energy, and resources to make this a viable thing for us.”

“It sounds like it will be quite the undertaking,” Charri said, brown eyes alight with curiosity. “Are you going to open for full colonization?”

“Not... right away,” Adrian said after a moment. “We need to observe the planet for a while, make sure that the disease it was riddled with is truly eradicated. Among other things.”

“The basic plan right now is we're going to set up observation platforms,” Anna interjected, squeezing Adrian's hand gently as he blinked a few times. “We don't know enough about the planet itself, so we're going to study it from orbit for a while before we return to the surface and check on all the, ah.... well, all the stuff we left behind in the crater. And there's a _lot_ of stuff.”

Adrian shook his head slightly, and she gave him a concerned look; it was hard to tell if he was paler in the shade of the tree, but his grip on her hand had tightened enough that she decided to turn the subject away.

“You're both moving to Adonis?”

Charri nodded, adjusting the weight of the sleeping Liesse absently.

“'Liza and I decided we wanted to settle for a while, and the Apollo trans-gov is more amenable than some of the others we looked at. We both have interviews already lined up for a few days after we've settled, which is promising, though there's no rush to get jobs either. We _have_ the savings.”

“Just because we have them doesn't mean we should be lazy,” Eliza replied, the dryness of her tone suggesting this was a familiar argument.

Charri's smile was fondly exasperated, and Anna stifled a giggle.

“We're going to be in the Gresit area,” she said after a minute, absently leaning her head on Adrian's arm. He was relaxing again, if slowly, and that was comforting. “I'm not sure how far apart those are, but it would be nice to keep in better touch.”

Eliza nodded thoughtfully after a moment, glancing at her spouse who nodded as well.

“I think that is an excellent idea. I would very much like to be friends.”

-

“So, you met the one sane doctor from the last time we were on a ship, and she's going to be on the same planet?” Trevor paused for a moment. “Think we can recruit her?”

Adrian threw a pillow at him without really looking and was pleased to hear it connect as he returned to laying on the long couch.

“You deserved that,” Sypha said with a snicker.

Trevor grumbled good-naturedly, throwing the pillow back. Adrian heard it coming and caught it, then put it back under his head and let his eyes close.

“I'm just saying, it makes things easier if we're not traveling with a _total_ pack of strangers,” he pointed out. “And we're gonna need doctors too.”

“We're _not_ taking control of this, Trevor,” Anna reminded him pointedly. “We're leaving the details up to Mr. Tepes and the TI HR department. Remember?”

“Yeah, but-”

“Charri did seem interested in it,” Adrian offered, cracking one eye open to look at his family. “But I wouldn't want to subject anyone with children to that trip until we are assured that the planet is safe, and we have more data on the amount of land, weather, and types of creatures we can expect trouble from.”

“But we might open to more than just scientific observation at some point?”

“...maybe. I don't know. That's something I'll leave in the hands of progress reports and my fathers judgment.”

Adrian closed his eye again, trying to settle more comfortably on the couch; he was tired, but it was a good tired, honestly. People were taxing, but the possibility of a friendship with Liesse's granddaughter was... well, it was nice. He still missed Liesse, still regretted never knowing what had happened to her...

A hand touched his forehead gently, and he felt tugging at the pillow. Obligingly he lifted his head so that Anna could move it, and resettled himself on her thigh, feeling tension easing still further as her fingers gently ran thought his hair.

“We'll figure it out as we go, Trevor. Right now, it's not something we need to worry about, or discuss too hard. Okay?”

It was phrased as a question, but Adrian had a sneaking suspicion that Anna was glaring at her cousin. Since she was being protective on his behalf, he wasn't inclined to make her stop; thinking about all those details was overwhelming, and they hadn't even reached Athena yet, let alone learned the status of the preparations for the long trip to Atlantis.

“Fine, fine,” Trevor groused, then yawned. “I'm for bed. Sy?”

“In a bit. I've still got a few things to check on.”

He heard them kiss, and then the door to their room hissed open and closed. After a moment, he popped open one eye then shifted to look up at Anna, who was leaning back on the couch, if still petting his hair soothingly.

“I'll have to think about it eventually,” he said softly.

“Eventually is not now, dear,” she replied, gently tapping his nose. “Even you know that. Right now, we focus on improving your mental health. Agreed?”

He smiled at her, then sighed theatrically.

“I don't feel like being in trouble with my favorite medic-”

“Only medic!”

“Yes, that's what makes you my favorite.” And he snuggled her fondly. “I'll do my best to behave.”

“And if you don't, _I'll_ sit on you,” Sypha threatened from her spot at the counter.

Anna giggled, and Adrian relaxed, allowing himself to slip into a small doze.

-

Personal log (cont.) Anna Torres

Once we land on Athena, there's a number of things we're going to need to do right away; set up the rented house, find out if there's a local therapist (or several) so that we can both continue the therapy we need for mental health and wellness, and I know both Trevor and Sypha want to have some sort of job, even if it's not exactly in their field of expertise. It's less about the money and more about having something to do.

I worry that Adrian will also want to find some type of job. He's not too fond of being idle himself, despite the amount of time we've spent in these cabins while on the trip. I have something of an idea, but I don't want to present it to him just yet until I'm sure he's not quite so precariously balanced.

I will be glad if we really can be friends with Eliza and Charri, though. I'm not very good at the friend-making process, but... even if only by osmosis, it'll be good for Arian to have people that aren't family to talk with about things that bother him. I'm not always certain a therapist _counts_ , since they have to stay fairly impartial...

Ah, I suppose I'm over thinking it. I'd best wake him long enough to get him to bed, or we'll both be bombarded by Trevor's morning nonsense....


	2. Chapter 2

Two

“I swear, all spaceports are hives of noise and smells,” Adrian muttered., shifting closer to Trevor as they cleared the landing zone.

“Yup,” the other man agreed, casually looping an arm over his shoulders. “But at least we don't have a million reporters this time~”

The reminder made him shudder a little; flashing cameras and raised voices asking a hundred questions he'd had no answers for, and no desire _to_ answer.

“Trevor, you're _not_ _helping,”_ Anna said from Adrian's other side, her hand slipping reassuringly into his.

Trevor leaned around Adrian to make a face at his cousin, who made a face back, sticking her tongue out for good measure. Adrian huffed a little in amusement, and did his best to not cling to her hand; there was still customs and immigration, and then the health screening to make sure they hadn't brought anything that wasn't already native to the planet's infrastructure.

“It's all right,” Anna said soothingly as they joined the crowd to enter the spaceport. “We've got the documents from Dr. Morena, and your own mother that say one of us needs to be present while you undergo the examination.”

“And if that's not enough, you'll fight them,” Sypha said with a snicker.

Adrian grinned slightly as Anna's expression took on a somewhat pouty cast before firming up into sturbbonness. She wasn't fond of being reminded that she was the smallest and least threatening of them... but that usually just meant she was the one everyone underestimated.

“Yes. Yes I will.”

Adrian squeezed her hand again, and she squeezed back, then leaned her head on his arm. It helped, and he let out a small, tired breath as they entered the long line to the customs desk.

-

The car that Adrian's father had sent to collect them was really quite lovely. Compact luxury, with well-padded seats, a stocked mini-bar—which Trevor had been told he was _not_ allowed to touch—and mini-fridge that was quickly raided before they all found seats and Adrian told the car where to go.

“...I have to ask; your old man can send this, but not something to make it easier to get on to the planet?” Trevor said after they had been moving for about ten minutes.

“Sidestepping security protocols is rude,” Adrian replied nibbling absently at the cookie he'd chosen for dessert. “Besides, while an admittedly famous tech company, Father is not some all-powerful entity like Alterra. And even then, we were subjected to quite the rigorous battery of tests, if you'll recall.”

“Comparatively, this was faster and easier,” Anna added, electing to lay sideways and tuck her head onto Adrian's lap. “They saw the documents, did the tests, and cleared us to go on. Any further testing will be done at _our_ discretion, not that of the Appollan trans-gov authorities. Which is good because we don't need further testing, we just need to...”

“Shop around for therapists?” Sypha suggested.

“Yes. That.”

Anna snuggled Adrian's leg a little, and yawned; she hadn't slept the best, their last night on the ship, too worried about the day to come. Worry over nothing, clearly, as everything had gone quite smoothly. No doubt some of it was the power of the Tepes name, but also a less strict set of trans-gov rules.

“Mother and Father promised the house will at least be furnished, so if we need to, we can go directly to bed once we get there,” Adrian said, a hand resting softly on her head. “I know Mother would like to give us a tour around the town, but I think Father is in Artemis this week.”

“....I know it's the name of the city where his main office building is, but you have to admit, that just sounds weird,” Trevor said after a moment.

Sypha snorted a little, and pushed him gently as Adrian chuckled.

“We'll need to come up with names for Atlantis locations, when we get that far,” he said after a moment. Anna murmured a little as his fingers moved gently in her hair, snuggling down a little more. “I know we'll mostly be focused on the crater for a while after the set up, but the planet was so much larger than that...”

“We can worry about names when we know what's there,” Sypha said, beating Anna to the punch. “Which we're not going to know for a while.”

Adrian sighed, leaning back on the seat, then glanced down at Anna. She smiled wryly and shrugged her agreement with Sypha's comment, making him sigh again, but the smile he gave her was rueful.

“I know... I just... want to prepare, I suppose. People are going to expect-”

Anna reached up and put her fingertips gently against his lips. Adrian startled a little, then went silent, looking down at her in surprise.

“What they expect isn't ours to worry about. Not yet, at least,” she amended. “We're going to be _part_ of the science project, not _in charge_ of the science project.”

For a moment, rebelliousness flashed through his eyes; she could hardly blame him for wanting to try and protect the planet, but her job was to make sure he was both mentally and physically sound. So she returned that look with a stubborn one of her own, and after a moment he nodded a little, kissing her fingers as he acquiesced.

She squeaked and pulled her hand back, earning a small smile. She didn't like having to restrict him from what he so clearly wanted to do, but she wasn't entirely convinced that the mental fragility had passed. Until she was, she was going to take great care with what he was and wasn't allowed to do...

“Adrian, what is _that?_ ” Sypha asked, pointing out the window. “It's _huge!_ ”

Anna lifted her head a little as Adrian shifted, then chuckled slightly.

“Someone decided to try a genetic crossbreed program at one point, well before any of us were born. It apparently worked out so well that it's become one of the native species. They're docile, but very large, which makes them a big dangerous if you're not paying attention.”

“What're they used for?” Trevor asked.

“As far as I know, being very intimidating to adults, and awe-inspiring to children,” Adrian said with a small grin. “I remember wanting to have one as a pet for a while, but Mother refused... looking at a full adult one, I think I understand why...”

She settled again, and closed her eyes, letting their conversation drift over her as the car continued to move. Just going by tone, Adrian was relaxed, and there were none of the other, subtler signs that suggested he was hiding distress or discomfort. That meant it was safe enough, for the moment, for her to relax too. Trevor and Sypha would keep him grounded if he needed it.... she was going to catch a small nap.

-

Adrian glanced down as they left the city limits and smiled faintly. Anna was snugged down contently, breathing even and steady. She had missed probably most of the information he'd imparted to the other two, but that was all right; he could tell her again later, if they came back through Aguilla and she wanted to know.

The fact that she was so _deeply_ asleep was a little bit worrying; he'd learned quickly that she was perhaps one of the lightest sleepers he'd ever met, so this suggested a far deeper exhaustion than he'd initially thought. Or perhaps he was being overly cautious; she was in a car with the three people she trusted the most... why _wouldn't_ she let her guard down enough to sleep properly?

“So, how much farther is it to Gresit?” Trevor asked, making Adrian jump slightly. “Because if we've got a few hours, I think Anna's got the right idea.”

“We do; it's sort of unfortunate, the placement of the town, but Aguilla is the nearest spaceport. The next nearest would be Zeus, but that would have been at least two days by ground. Now that we're out of the city, though, we should be able to speed up a little....”

Carefully, Adrian leaned forward to access the car's controls, then nodded.

“According to the route, we've another five minutes before we hit the actual freeway, at which point we'll have at least two hours at the maximum allowable speed before we reach the limits of Gresit. Father apparently thought we'd rather not tour the town... or perhaps it was Mother, because we're going directly to where the house is.”

“So, plenty of time for a quick nap. Perfect.”

Sypha rolled her eyes in tolerant amusement as Trevor promptly sprawled himself across her lap, and mimed pushing him to the floor even as she cheerfully snuggled up to her. Adrian grinned a little and half-shrugged; she _wouldn't_ , he knew, but it was definitely amusing to play.

It didn't take long before Trevor's snore was heard, and Adrian shook his head fondly.

“How _do_ you sleep with that?” he asked.

“Some night, I contemplate stuffing a pillow in his mouth,” Sypha said with a grin. “And then he rolls over and it becomes bearable again.”

He chuckled softly as she carefully adjusted Trevor's head; sure enough the snoring faded into something softer, more an indication of sleep than a demanding notice.

“You could nap too, if you wanted.”

“I'm all right. Unlike these two, I actually managed to sleep all night,” Sypha said, her smile softening a little. “Anna was probably running on anxiety fumes for the past few hours, even with her nanites. And I know Trevor got up early and was pacing... I think he had another nightmare.”

Adrian was quiet, casting his boyfriend a sympathetic look. For the most part, Atlantis had left them with more physical scars than emotional ones, but some of the creatures there were certainly nightmare fuel.

“Are you doing better now? The spaceport couldn't have been easy...”

“I survived it, though,” and he smiled tiredly. “Though I admit, I'll be glad when we can finally return to Atlantis, and then I wont ever have to set foot on another ship unless I really want to.”

Sypha made a small noise of agreement, that trailed up into inquisitive.

“....I don't think I will,” he admitted softly, his fingers trailing through Anna's curls. “I might go up to one of the observation platforms if I'm needed, but for better or for worse, I think the rest of my life will be lived on that planet.”

“Well, you'll definitely not be alone,” and Sypha reached over to squeeze his hand gently. “Though I do have to ask; _will_ you want to open the planet to colonization after all the science is done?”

“I don't know that the science will ever really _be_ done, but... I wouldn't mind letting people live in the crater, so long as we're careful of the local ecosystem. We're going to be a fringe planet, and technically we'll be under the Apollo trasn-gov's charter at that...” Adrian frowned a little, then sighed. “So really it's not my decision anyways. But I think I'd like to let people live there, if that's what _they_ want to do. I know for the scientists and other crew it's not going to be easy; I don't know how many of the Degasi staff had families, but Liesse... we spoke once, about it. When I was in recovery...”

“About...?”

“Our families. We knew.... there would be no rescue. I think it was the last time we brought up anything that related to living off Atlantis...” He was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “I wish she had lived...”

Sypha reached over and squeezed his hand again, gently.

“I wish that too. She sounds like an amazing person.”

“...she was. She truly was.”

-

“-na? Come on darling, wake up... We're here.”

Anna mumbled and rolled, pushing her face against something soft and warm. It moved, and she felt more than heard the chuckle, even as a gentle arm slid under her and nudged her into sitting up.

“I know, I know,” and Adrian's voice was warm. “You just want to go back to sleep. But you should at least look around a little before we do, okay?”

She grumbled a little, pressing her face against his shoulder instead, and felt the warmth of his breath as he huffed another laugh.

“Hey, at least you can get her to sit up,” she heard Sypha say. “I may have to shove Trevor onto the floor at this rate.”

“C'rry,” Anna mumbled.

“Yes, I will,” and he nuzzled her softly. “You clearly need more sleep, but you have to wake up enough so that we can get everything out of the car, and register palm prints with the scanner.”

Anna grumbled a little, but opened her eyes enough to see that they were stopped in front of the small rental house they'd found that was not _perfect_ , but was good enough to suit them. One storey with a basement, most of the amenities were on the main floor, though she couldn't immediately bring the floor plan to mind. She was going to have to actually look around later, but for the moment going back to sleep was much more appealing, and she squeaked only a little as Adrian picked her up as he stepped out of the car.

“See?” he murmured, his voice warm. “Carry~”

She grumbled a little, then settled against his chest, snuggling into his shoulder as he walked the few steps to the front door. There he set her on her feet, keeping one arm around her waist; she was awake enough to keep her balance, but she didn't protest. Cuddling was good for both of them.

He put his palm on the small pad next to the door, and she watched muzzily as the biometric scanner collected the information.

_Registered primary renter; Adrian Tepes. Continue?_

“Yes,” he said. “Register Anna Torres.”

Anna twisted a little as she heard footsteps coming up behind them; Trevor looked about as awake as she felt, but he was up, and only leaning on Sypha a little even as he yawned. Adrian nudged Anna gently and she obligingly put her hand on the scanner, stifling a yawn of her own as it scanned her palm.

_Registered secondary renter; Anna Torres. Continue?_

“Yes. Register...” Adrian looked over his shoulder and huffed a little in amusement. “Trevor Belmont. Before he falls over...”

Trevor made a rude noise and moved up to stick his hand on the pad. Adrian gently picked Anna back up and she was quite willing to snuggle back down; his physical strength was certainly unparalleled, and she was quite happy to drowse while Trevor's registration was followed by Sypha's.

_Continue?_

“No,” Adrian replied. “All renters registered.”

_Acknowledged. Welcome home._

The front door slid open, releasing a waft of cool air, and the lights flicked on as they stepped in. Anna opened her eyes briefly, then closed them again, curling her fingers a bit in Adrian's shirt as he maneuvered carefully through the stacks of boxes that had clearly beat them here.

“....bed?” Trevor mumbled from behind them.

“Yes, you and Anna can flop onto the giant bed, and we'll join you after we unload the car,” Sypha replied.

“Bed.”

Adrian's chuckle was warm in her ear.

“You'll have fun adjusting to the thirty hour day cycle,” he teased gently.

“Sleep f'r week,” Trevor retorted blearily. “'djust fine...”

“So what season are we in?” Sypha asked as a door slid open ahead of them.

“I believe we're at the tail end of spring,” Adrian replied, “but don't quote me. I haven't been here for a decade, and the seasonal progression may have changed in that time. We'll sync the data pads after everyone's properly awake, and find out.”

Adrian moved to the side and Anna opened her eyes briefly to see on of the bedrooms spread out before them. Most of the space was taken up by Trevor's giant bed, and Trevor himself made a beeline for the mattress, immediately flopping down onto it and starfishing over as much space as possible. Sypha snorted her amusement even as Trevor made grabby motions in Anna and Adrian's general direction.

Adrian gently settled Anna onto the bed, and she scooted quickly to curl up against Trevor, squeaking a little as he flopped an arm over her.

“It shouldn't take long to unload the car,” Adrian said, reaching down to smooth Anna's hair lightly as she stretching out an arm to him. “But it would be impolite yo keep it for longer than necessary.”

“You two sleep,” Sypha said with a faint smile. “We'll be back soon.”

-

“I'm pretty sure the car is a permanent loan for as long as we're here, knowing your father,” Sypha said as they headed back out into the spring daylight.

“Possibly, yes, but I'd prefer to confirm that instead of assume it,” Adrian replied, touching his thumb briefly to the trunk lock. It popped open and he pushed it up, moving aside to let Sypha grab what she wanted from the trunk first. “I'll call him, or Mother, after we've gotten some rest.”

She gave him a briefly skeptical look and he huffed a small laugh.

“Promise,” he added. “Admittedly, Anna and Trevor have the right idea, though they're probably going to end up wide awake in the middle of the night and hunting for something to do.”

“Well, that's why we found the house with the empty basement the landlord said we could use for whatever as long as it was cleaned up by the time the lease is over,” Sypha said practically.

“Mmm. I would have liked to get one with a bit more land attached, but this was the best within our limited requirements...”

Sypha gave him a knowing smile as she pulled out the suitcases, stacking them neatly to one side before going after the boxes of raw materials that had been most of their furniture at the house on Torrens.

“You just wanted to give Anna something else to focus on,” she teased gently.

“I love my wife, but you must admit, being her sole focus of attention can get a bit... _much_.”

“I admit no such thing because I've never _had_ that much attention from her,” and Sypha's smirk was playful. “Now _Trevor_ , on the other hand...”

Adrian laughed a little himself and lightly shrugged as he tapped the hover controls for the suitcases; they attached quickly to one another and he brought them in, settling them on what would be the living room floor with another tap.

“They are related, so it's easy to see how their single-minded attention would be similar,” he replied as Sypha brought in the boxes in the same manner, stacking them neatly along one wall. “It shouldn't take too long to settle, at least, and given the way we're all incapable of simply doing _nothing_ for days on end, it also shouldn't take too long before we've all got other things to focus on.”

In truth, he was looking forward to it. Maybe Anna wouldn't be able to have a garden, but she could work with his mother at her practice, while he tried out different hobbies, and they both had some space from one another while still coming together when they needed to.

“I have to ask, do you think we'll really need a pool in the basement?”

He blinked, and tipped his head a little as Sypha nudged the boxes a little more out of the way.

“Well, no, probably not,” he admitted. “The lake is only a fifteen minute walk. But the lake is subject to weather, and an indoor pool is not, so I expect we'll end up with the pool anyways.”

Sypha snorted, then grinned wryly.

“You have a point. Let's finish hauling boxes so we can curl up too, yeah?”

He nodded, following her back outside for the rest of their things.

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

It's.... _odd_ being back on Athena after so long. My childhood home... well, not really _my_ childhood home, that would be back with my parents. I am, admittedly, grateful that we're not. Apparently in anticipation of our arrival, Johnathan took some time off work and I really do not need his conflicted emotions battering at me further.

We do need to talk. To resolve this issue. But I don't want to have it alone. I'm not sure who to ask as witness though; Anna needs to rest as much as I do, if not more. Trevor still wants to punch him a little, and there's that plan to bring Johnathan as part of the first wave of people to Atlantis. I'm not sure I approve of it, but I also don't think I can _stop_ it.

Sypha my work well, though I'm not sure she's forgiven him yet for what happened on Torrens. Neither she, nor Anna, will tell me what he said that got him thrown out by my darling wife...

Father or Mother may be the best options... While I don't _think_ Johnathan would let me suffer through an attack without calling someone, I... admit that I am not as positive of that as I would have been years ago.

….the moons are rising. I think someone else will be awake soon. Best put this away before I get caught and scolded for not resting like I should.


	3. Chapter 3

Three

“No, no, more to the left. _Left,_ I said!”

Adrian and Trevor shared resigned looks, before lifting the couch again and moving to the left at Sypha's insistence.

“How did Anna get out of this again?” Trevor muttered as they set the couch down.

“Mother wanted to talk to her about therapy options, and also part-time hours so she can finish getting the last of her certifications,” Adrian replied, leaning carefully against the couch arm. “I decided I _didn't_ want to talk about therapy options with my mother, which is why you have help.”

Trevor snorted a little, and Sypha snickered mercilessly.

“We're almost done,” she offered, checking the remaining materials. “We may have over-brought but we can store things downstairs until we leave, right?”

Adrian nodded a little.

“We can set up the pool after Anna gets back,” he said after a moment. “Once we know how much room we'll have after storing everything we don't use away.”

Trevor snorted a little again, then sprawled over the couch they'd just set in place.

“I'm voting we take a ten minute break,” he said. “Or longer. I'm _hungry_ , and tired of moving stuff around.”

Adrian chuckled a little as Sypha rolled her eyes tolerantly.

“Oh, all right. We're more or less finished in here anyways, and the other room won't be that hard to set up. The kitchen already is!”

Which had been a very nice, not to mention welcome, surprise. Adrian suspected it had been his mother's doing, and made a mental note to pass on his thanks when he was able to visit. Unfortunately, the house wasn't _quite_ within walking distance... which meant the permanently loaned car was quite required, and his visits wouldn't be half as random as he'd hoped they would be.

“Good _thing_ the kitchen is,” Trevor replied as he headed through the doorway. “I'm ready to eat something!”

Sypha rolled her eyes tolerantly, then raised an eyebrow at Adrian, who'd elected to take Trevor's vacated spot.

“You all right?”

“Yes. But unlike the walking bottomless pit, I'm not actually hungry, so I'm going to relax while he devours half the food.”

She snorted a little, and it was plain she wasn't entirely buying his excuse. Adrian smiled a little, but declined to elaborate, so after another moment Sypha nodded, and left him alone in the living room.

He appreciated it for a few minutes, then sighed a little and flipped to stare up at the ceiling; it seemed silly to admit that he missed Anna being there, but Trevor and Sypha demanded a certain level of _excess_ energy, and it was always more easily managed when she was there to divert and mitigate. Not that he wasn't perfectly capable of managing that himself, but...

Well, it was more tolerable with Anna. More... soothing.

Adrian shook his head slightly, smiling ruefully; it wasn't necessarily _healthy_ to be like this, was it? Anna wasn't the sole source of his happiness, that would be putting far too much pressure on her than necessary. If anyone deserved to relax after the Alterra mess, it was definitely her...

His comlink buzzed and he blinked, then pulled the datapad from his pocket and flipped it open.

“....I was just thinking about you,” he said with a small smile as Anna's face popped up on the screen. “You're missing all the dramatic fun, my light. I think we moved the couch five times before Sypha was satisfied.”

She smiled and half-shrugged apologetically.

“Sorry. You might be able to tell you mother no, but I'm not that... mmm.... brave.”

He snorted a little as she smiled sheepishly.

“Are you headed home?”

“Not yet,” and she shook her head gently. “Mina wanted to give me a long, impressive tour first. Something something pool in the basement.”

He laughed.

“So where are the two other women in your life?” he teased.

Anna huffed at him, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

“Lisa's mediating an argument between Mina and Johnathan,” she admitted after a moment. “Apparently Mina kicked him in the shin, so she decided it was time to get involved.”

“....On the one hand, I'm very curious as to what would cause that, but on the other, I remember fighting with my little brother very well, and that is just...”

Adrian shook his head after a moment with a rueful sigh.

“It's a sibling thing,” Anna agreed. “....I miss you....”

He blinked, then smiled fondly, lightly touching the screen. Perhaps it was silly to be surprised that she felt the same, despite them only being a few hours apart... but it was nice to hear.

“I'm right here darling. I'll be here when you finally get home and hand me a list of the people I'll need to try and contact for therapy, and whatever else my sometimes-terrifying mother has decided we'll need to look into. Did she ask you to work for her?”

“Mm... I told her I'd think about it, and she says there's no rush. I also have things for Trevor and Sypha... some from your father, more than your mother in their case, though she is also quite excited about the idea of getting to help plan _their_ wedding.”

“Since we cheated them out of ours,” he chuckled a little. “That should be amusing, though I rather hope Sypha won't... you know...”

“Mmhm. I don't _think_ she will, but Sypha's good at being a surprise.”

He laughed softly.

“Yes, well, so are you,” he replied, winking at her teasingly.

Anna blushed and waved a hand lightly in embarrassment.

“At least she has family to invite that will be happy for her...”

Adrian blinked, then sat up a little, concerned, but before he could say anything, he heard his mother's voice calling Anna from somewhere else in the house.

“Ah... sorry dear.. Looks like it's back to talks for me,” and she smiled ruefully at him.

“We'll have you back for dinner, yes?~”

“Mmhm. With any luck I'll be back in a couple hours.” She hesitated a moment, and he saw her swallow, watched her flush as she took in a deep breath. Before he could become _too_ concerned, she managed to speak. “I-I... I love you.”

Words that were so hard for her to say meant all the more when she managed it. Warmth blossomed in his chest, easing his own longing for her just a little.

“I love you too, Anna.”

It still made her flinch, but it was so much less than it had been. Proof enough that her own therapy had brought her a long way, much like his own. She gently touched the screen with her fingertips, then closed the link.

Adrian sighed a little, touching his own screen briefly; he could put up with her being away, really he could. She wasn't that far, and she would come home to him.

After another few moments he pushed up off the couch and moved towards the kitchen; maybe he could rescue some food before Trevor ate everything they'd been given.

-

“Of course it's not silly to miss him,” Lisa said with an amused smile. “He's your husband. I miss Vlad when he goes out, and it's always wonderful when he's back; that hasn't changed, and we've been married thirty years now.”

“I just...” Anna tugged at her long sweater uncertainly. “I don't know... where the line is. Between.... obsession and l... love...”

“....It can be hard to figure out,” Lisa replied after a thoughtful moment. “Especially when it's your first deep relationship. But you let him have space to figure out what he needs, don't you?”

Anna nodded, if a bit hesitantly. She hadn't _wanted_ to come here without him, but he'd been uninterested in going over something this personal with his mother, even if she _was_ the one who knew most of the people. It made her wonder why he was okay with it being _her_ he went over therapists with, but not enough that she was interested in pushing him on it.

But since he'd wanted to stay home—while she hadn't been sure how to do the same without offending—she'd come here alone.

“I... well, I try to? He's not a child, he doesn't need me to hover over him about things,” she said finally. “I... I may not always like his choices, but I try to support him in making them.”

“The most important part of any relationship is to keep the lines of communication open,” Lisa replied, a fond smile on her face. It made Anna blush; she wasn't used to any sort of parental approval... “As long as you can talk about it, even something you disagree about can be worked out. It's not always easy, and with you being four instead of two, you're bound to get some crossed lines every now and again, but the effort is always worth it.” She paused, then amended; “As long as it doesn't turn toxic. But love is as much a choice as a feeling, and it takes work and effort. Some days you may not _like_ each other very much, but as long as you keep talking, keep _trying_ to work things out, you ought to at least manage to remain friends.”

The idea of not being in love with Adrian was a chilling one, and Anna quickly buried it; Lisa clearly meant the best in her advice, and she wasn't going to ignore that, even if talking about certain things was still... difficult. At best.

“The fact that you're willing to let him have space to explore the relationship means you're not into obsession territory,” Lisa added. “You're both fairly functional adults with issues, but then, I don't think I know a single person alive who doesn't have something they need to work on. No one is perfect, after all.”

This made Anna smile, and nod a bit in agreement.

“And the fact that he lets you go out also speaks well for him. I'm not a psychologist or counselor, but I've seen my fair share of unhappy couples. Attached is not the same as unable to cope without your partner.”

Anna nodded again, relaxing a little; she wanted what Lisa and Vlad had, really. A stable and strong loving relationship. It still felt too _new_ to be stable, but she couldn't deny the love.

“Now, I'd best let Mina actually show you around before she starts bothering her brother again,” and Lisa's chuckle was soft and fond. “It's always nice when he takes some time off from work, but they _are_ siblings, and siblings will fight.”

“They will...”

Lisa gave her a sharp look, but Anna got to her feet and pretended not to see it. She couldn't change the past, could only deal with the scars it had left, and walk to the future.

And right now, the future was letting her little sister-in-law show her around the house and brag about the new pool in their basement.

-

“...and your mother wants to have us all for dinner at some point, but she specifically said next week would be nice, as she expect Johnathan to have gone back to the city at that point, and your father to be home,” Anna finished, as Sypha passed around the ice cream treats they'd found in the freezer.

“You certainly had an eventual afternoon,” Adrian said with a faint smile. “We just moved furniture.”

“A _lot_ ,” Trevor said, quickly digging into his frozen treat.

“It's not _my_ fault you two have no sense of layout,” Sypha retorted, cheerfully plopping back down in her chair and grabbing her spoon. “I managed to get everything set up nicely so that we're not going to run into it every time we walk across the room.”

Adrian rolled his eyes gently, then glanced at Anna in mild concern; something more than just a somewhat fraught afternoon had happened for her, but she wasn't speaking up. When she caught him looking she flushed a little and smiled weakly, before quickly dropping her gaze back to the ice cream.

“So we're gonna settle in for a week or so, get used to the time changes and then wander down to actually explore Gresit?” Trevor said, easily breaking the building tension.

“That certainly seems like a plan to me,” Adrian replied mildly. “It's grown bigger since I was last here... But I _might_ be able to show you where some of my old haunts were.”

“....the idea of you having a haunt is mildly freaky. Just so you know.”

Adrian grinned a little as Trevor shuddered dramatically.

“Put on a long bedsheet and some iridescent powder and you could look like a _real_ haunt,” Sypha teased.

“Well, there _was_ the local library. A candy shop. The playground I initially went to got demolished and replaced with a recreation center when I was in Eighth form, I think... somewhere around then, at least,” Adrian shrugged lightly. “I'm sure I'll remember more as we wander. We could make a day of it.”

He shot Anna another look, and admittedly felt pleased when her head came up and she gave him a narrow stare. He made sure to keep his face as innocent as possible, not willing to admit that he'd said that just to get her attention, and after a moment she huffed at him.

“....we probably walked farther in the course of a day at Alterra HQ.... but that was indoors, with air conditioning.”

Invitingly, he raised his eyebrows, and she huffed at him again, but there was a tiny smile playing on her lips; she wasn't relaxed, but she was starting to get there, which was good. That had been the whole point.

“Oh, I suppose we can take breaks, darling,” he teased gently. “If you insist.”

“Yes. I do.”

And she stuck her tongue out at him.

Adrian chuckled slightly, shrugging a bit in agreement, then glanced at Trevor, who had a somewhat perturbed look on his face; Sypha also seemed to realize that something was up, though she wasn't staring like her fiancee. He tipped his head slightly, and after a moment Trevor leaned back in his chair; he was going to let Adrian handle it, it seemed.

“We can always plan a route?” he offered. “Knowing you three, the minute we hit the library, there's gonna be no dragging you out of it.”

“...I would protest this, but it'll be nice to see what's on offer,” Sypha admitted. “Do you know if there's actual people, or if it's all digital?”

“Ah...” Adrian frowned a little in thought. “Somewhere in the middle, I think... at least, that's what I recall of it. It's likely changed as much as everything else, so I wouldn't rely on my memories to be terribly useful.”

“Hey, even faulty memory is better than none,” Trevor replied, scraping the last of the ice cream from his bowl. “You're our tour guide~”

Adrian rolled his eyes tolerantly again as Sypha shook her head. Trevor just looked pleased with himself and got up, taking his bowl to the sink.

“Well, I'm not tired, so I think I want to wander down and see this lake. Anyone else?”

“Given how long you slept, you're probably going to be up for half the night,” Adrian teased gently. “Try not to annoy the aquatic life, will you? They bite.”

“...hell, everything on Waterworld-”

“Atlantis.”

“-tried to eat me.” Trevor blinked, then snickered a little. “Hey Anna, think your pet stalker's still there?”

Anna's annoyed look was not buffered by humor.

“It wasn't a _pet_ , Trevor.”

Trevor quickly held up his hands at the vehemence of her response, and she flushed, looking away.

“...sorry,” she mumbled, pushing away from the table. “I think I just want to lay down for a bit... but take pictures?”

“Sure, I can do that. Sy, you want to come?”

Sypha glanced at Anna, then at Adrian. He tipped his head slightly in a nod; he would try and coax out what was behind Anna's shift in mood.

“All right. I can probably take better pictures than you can~”

Trevor stuck out his tongue at her, and she grinned shamelessly.

“Do keep an eye out for the wavers,” Adrian said as they started for the door. “They've been known to be rather rude about swimmers.”

“Hey, if anyone's rude to me, I can punch them~”

“...let's _not_ get arrested for assault before we've been here two days,” Sypha suggested, looping her arms around one of Trevor's.

“Fine, fine...”

Adrian shook his head with a small smile as they left, then turned his attention to his wife. Anna gently poked the half-melted dessert with her spoon, then sighed.

“I'm fine,” she said quietly.

“You're upset,” he countered gently.

“I.... it's nothing. No one's fault.”

“It doesn't have to be someone's fault, Anna. What's wrong?”

She was quiet for a few moments, and Adrian moved his chair so that he was sitting next to her, making it easier for her to lean on him if she wanted. After a moment she did, tentatively, and he looped an arm around her shoulders.

“It's.... silly,” she finally said.

“I'm sure it's not. But if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to,” he said reassuringly. “I can tell you how many times Trevor dropped the couch on his foot, or how many times we had to deconstruct the vid-screen before Sypha was happy with the placement of it.”

It coaxed out hints of a rueful smile, and he planted a gentle kiss on her temple.

“It was six, by the way, and I remain impressed that Trevor didn't break his foot.”

That got a giggle, and a resigned sigh.

“It's Trevor. He is amazing, sometimes for all the wrong reasons.”

“This is true,” and he nuzzled her gently. “He had how many roommate swaps?”

“...he says it was only two, but I have it on good authority that he went through at least five different sets of people by the time we reached Atlantis,” Anna said with a wry smile. “Not to mention started a glitter war, pissed off one roommate so badly that he was 'gifted' a small stink bomb which also pissed off the other roommate, and yet was somehow never in enough trouble to be either confined to quarters, or tossed in the temporary brig.”

“I would ask how, but having lived with him for a year, I think I can _guess_...”

That got a proper giggle, and she leaned on him a little more firmly.

“He doesn't _mean_ to be trouble, he's just....”

“ _Trevor_ ,” Adrian finished dryly.

“Yes...”

She nuzzled at him absently, then sighed a little.

“It really is silly... I just... I'm not used to a _kind_ family. I don't know how to... how I ought to react. To your parents. I think your mother did most of the talking this afternoon while I just kind of... struggled.”

He nuzzled at her gently, then tugged her into his lap. She slid onto his legs, tucking her head against his chest and loosely curling her arms around his waist, which let him rest his cheek on her head and snuggle properly.

“I'm sure Mother's not upset or offended,” he murmured. “And I know Father won't be either. We sort of.... ran at the future, this future, instead of taking our time. I'm not saying we shouldn't have,” he said swiftly as she stiffened a little. “I would rather you be... be my adorable wife, not just my adorable primary lover.”

He felt her blush, and chuckled softly, nuzzling at her fondly; how on earth was she so cute?

“And I don't regret any steps we skipped along the way either,” he continued. “Getting to know people is... it's difficult. It's more difficult for you because they're my parents, and you want to make a good impression, yes?”

She nodded, and he hugged her softly. He knew perfectly well that his parents approved, not just of Anna but of all of them. But saying it wasn't necessarily enough, and he knew that if he'd met _her_ family, he'd be looking to make as good an impression as he could on them.

Perhaps fortunately, Trevor had neatly sidestepped that whole mess by informing that side of the family that they would only get debt, not accolades or payment, if they tried to contact Anna. With what little had been let slip, he was quite sure he'd end up not liking her side of the family in the slightest, and wouldn't _that_ make things more difficult than necessary?

“Just be yourself, darling,” Adrian said finally. “Like you were back on Torrens. They liked you then, I'm certain that won't change with the scenery. And I'll go with you next time, I promise.”

Even if it meant being in the same room as Johnathan...

He felt a little of the tension in her spine ease, and kissed her forehead gently.

“....do you want to go catch up with Trevor and Sypha?” he asked.

Anna shook her head, her fingers curling a little in his shirt.

“Too much energy....”

“All right... shall we watch a vid, read, have a bath, have a _bath_...~”

He felt her blush as he put teasing innuendo in his voice, though he only tightened his hug briefly. He didn't want her to feel as though she had to cater to him, and really, any of the options were good ones as far as he was concerned.

“...incorrigible,” she mumbled.

He laughed softly, and lifted a hand to smooth his fingers across her cheek.

“I have my lovely wife all to myself,” he teased gently. “And you do blush so adorably.”

She elbowed him gently, blushing more.

“Cuddle,” she said sternly.

“Yes, my light. As you wish.”

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

I am now in possession of a relatively short list of individuals my mother thinks will be good as therapists, as it my darling wife. I admit, I don't really want to talk to any of these people, even for an interview, but there's still... so much of Atlantis I haven't managed to unpack.

I don't think I ever really know where to begin with that planet...

I'll call Mother in the morning, I think. There's more to Anna's reserve than just being nervous, and I expect it had something to do with Mina and Johnathan's fight, but pressing Anna... No, I don't think I want to do that right now. She kept me together on Torrens, and I know that wasn't an easy task. I need to find some way of making it up to her...

Personal log, Anna Torres

I admit, if Adrian didn't want to go back to Atlantis so badly, Athena could be a pretty good place to live. There's... It's so _different_. It's hard to explain.

Trevor and Sypha came back with some pictures of the lake and some of the duck like creatures there. I have to say, the jokes about Count Duckula didn't make sense until I saw the fangs. Ducks aren't suppose to have _fangs_. I think I'll stay far away from them, honestly...

I put a reminder on my data pad about dinner next week, and to go over the list of therapists in the next few days, but admittedly all I want to do right now is try and clock into the local day/night cycle.

Maybe for just a little bit, we can live in the moment, instead of fussing about the past... or fretting about the future....


	4. Chapter 4

Four

“So we're.... going to a play?” Trevor asked skeptically.

“Not just _a_ play, we're going to _Mina's_ play,” Adrian corrected, flicking his wrist to send the stone skimming across the waters of the lake. “It's part of her school's talent festival; there's also going to be food, some games, and family is encouraged to attend. Father hates missing these things, but he's halfway across the world right now, so it's up to us, and Mother.”

“Halfway across the world negotiating the merits of phase gates,” Sypha said from Adrian's other side. “Can't forget that part.”

“Mina already did,” Adrian sighed. “She's very put out that Father won't be there.”

Put out was putting it mildly, really. The almost-nine-years-old girl had been sulking for days, and it had taken a somewhat rash promise from him to be there that had finally cheered her up. Adrian wasn't entirely sure it was _wise—_ he'd spent the past two weeks in relatively relaxing isolation—but it had been impossible to resist that upset face.

“Johnathan won't either,” Sypha pointed out.

“Yes, but right now she's mad at Johnathan, and doesn't mind if he misses the fun.”

“....why is she mad at Johnathan again?”

Adrian shrugged, and glanced over at Anna who looked to be dozing lightly on the sand.

“I gather he said something against Anna while she was at the house last time,” he said after a moment. “Mina has never had an older _sister_ , and got quite defensive. Johnathan was offended in return, and according to Mother, Mina hasn't spoken to him since before he went back to Artemis.”

“....no one holds a grudge quite like a kid,” Sypha said with a small, knowing smile.

It didn't help that Johnathan was no longer the absolute favorite sibling in Mina's eye, but Adrian didn't feel terribly inclined towards sharing that just yet. Sypha and Trevor would find it amusing, he suspected, but Anna would be distressed by the thought.

Trevor sent another stone whinging across the lake, then winced at the sound of a small thud.

“Shit... I think I hit the duck.”

“Again?”

“I'm not doing it on _purpose,_ ” he protested. “The damn things keep moving in the way!”

Prudently, Adrian moved away from the shore, dropping his rocks to sit next to Anna who startled awake; before she could reach for something, he touched her hand and she settled again, blearily pushing up the sunhat that had been protecting her face as Sypha flopped down on the other side.

“Wha's goin on..?”

“Trevor hit a duck again,” Sypha supplied.

“....'gain?”

Adrian snickered a little as Trevor tried to backpedal away from the duck; unlike them, he had _not_ dropped his rocks, which meant the duck knew just who to target.

“Again,” he replied as Trevor swore, trying to back away from what would be the fifth such encounter. “Good thing they're not the venomous type.”

“What is it about him that makes him such a good target?” Sypha wondered, reaching over and grabbing one of the prepared snack bags as Trevor jumped away from the first attempt at a bite. “He was always getting bit on Atlantis too. _Everything_ wanted to bite him.”

“He's large and apparently very delicious,” Adrian offered idly, snugging his arm around Anna as she sat up to watch the show. “Admittedly, I would probably take a bite out of him too.”

Sypha snorted and shoved him lightly; Anna just yawned, not entirely awake, and he was rather grateful for that. He hadn't _quite_ meant to let that slip out. He still very much wanted to do more than kiss Trevor, but he didn't want to imply, in any way, that he wasn't happy with having Anna as his lover.

“Speaking as someone who _has_ , he's not _that_ yummy,” Sypha said, popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth. “He whines about it too.”

Adrian snickered a little, but elected to not travel down that particular conversational path with Anna partially awake.

Trevor swore again as the duck—a far faster and nimbler creature than a human—managed to land a solid bite to his shin. It held on for a good thirty seconds before Trevor was able to pry it off and throw it back into the lake.

“It could have been worse,” Adrian offered as Trevor limped over to them, swearing under his breath. “You could have hit the nest again...”

Trevor glared at him as Sypha giggled.

“...do not jinx my cousin,” Anna said with sleepy reproof as she dragged over the bag and dug into it for her medical supplies.

“The tiny ones are _worse_ than the big ones,” Trevor grumped, wincing a little as Anna applied a disinfectant. “And then the big ones _jump_ you.”

Adrian reached over and sympathetically patted Trevor's uninjured knee.

“You haven't run afoul of the whitewings yet, so that's something~”

Trevor just glared mutinously, holding the gauze in place while Anna applied the medical tape.

“Perhaps we should get home before something else happens,” Sypha said, leaning over to give Trevor a kiss on the cheek. “Put some ice on that and play some games, maybe?”

“I could go for that,” Trevor said, relaxing a little at the sympathy. “Get to a place where I'm not being attacked or mocked every few minutes.”

The pout was exaggerated this time, and Adrian chuckled a little, fondly.

“Anna, are you ready to go home?” he asked.

She thought about it for a moment as Trevor got to his feet with Sypha's help, then half-shrugged.

“M'okay...”

Still not fully awake, he decided, scrutinizing her carefully. They had walked from the house to the lake, which could maybe explain some things, but... no, they had walked far more than that before. Not for the first time he wondered at the excessive exhaustion, but then he let the worry go; some people just took longer to adjust to different planetary cycles.

Standing up, he gently helped her to her feet when it became clear that she was going to go where he went. It was tempting to carry her, but they had brought enough stuff that he needed at least one hand free to help carry that instead. To her credit, even half-awake she was willing to carry what she could, and they started slowly back up the path that would take them to the rental house.

-

Anna looked around the school grounds, impressed despite herself. The Tepes's had elected to put Mina through the local public school instead of either homeschooling with a personal tutor, or sending her to a private academy. While the schools were properly funded, there was the general desire to ensure that the teachers were paid well for their work, which could often be quite difficult.

To that end, and in her personal experience, schools tended to hold fundraisers, or solicit donations of some sort. This talent festival seemed to combine that rather well; there were games to play, food to buy, some classrooms were set up like small restaurants, while the gym was taken up by a child-friendly haunted house.

“...I like it,” Sypha said, plucking a bit of cotton candy from the bag and popping it into her mouth. “Though the haunted house feels like it's set up in the wrong season.”

“People like getting pleasantly spooked no matter what time of year it is,” Lisa said in wry amusement. “Though it usually is more popular in the winter talent festival.”

“Is anyone else doing a play?” Sypha asked.

“No, just Mina's classroom this time. Though in the past there have been two or three different plays offered. In spring, they usually do a play and then a talent contest after.”

“This is way more elaborate than anything they did back where we used to live,” Trevor muttered, looking sidelong at the multitude of booths.

“...we didn't have the funding,” Anna replied quietly, loosely tucking her free hand into his and squeezing lightly. “Nothing like this, anyways.”

He nodded, and squeezed her hand absently in return; neither one of them had very fond memories of school, but Adrian had wanted to come see Mina act in a play, and they had agreed to come with Adrian so that he would remain fairly grounded, not to mention having more than just his mother to move him to a quiet place if he became... overstimulated.

She glanced at him and half-smiled; he didn't looked _relaxed_ per se, but he did seem somewhat at ease. People called greetings and shouted to advertise their games, but since nothing was directed specifically at him, he seemed to be managing the input fairly well.

“I bet some of your old teachers still remember you,” Lisa teased gently, lightly patting Adrian's shoulder.

“...Mother, I really don't think we need to regale everyone with my school escapades,” Adrian said dryly, though the smile he gave his mother was somewhere between resigned and amused.

“Escapades?” Sypha asked innocently.

“Now, see, I wouldn't have called them that,” Trevor said dryly. “You're gonna make us all _curious_ if you call them that.”

“Be nice, Trevor,” Anna murmured as Adrian made a face at him.

“I am being nice,” Trevor replied. “I know how to be nice.”

“Sometimes, I wonder,” Sypha teased, looping her arm with his free one. “Half the time you tell a story, it ends with someone getting punched. Typically it's you.”

“Hey, it's not my fault people are so intimidated by my charm and appearance that they decide they want to punch me,” Trevor protested.

Anna rolled her eyes in amusement, and tuned out the playful bickering as they entered the school building, following the lead of Lisa Tepes.

-

“Big brother, did you see me?” Mina squealed as the auditorium slowly emptied.

“We did indeed,” Adrian replied, staggering a little as she plowed into him enthusiastically. “Oof! You were very good in your role as the evil stepmother.”

Mina beamed as his family smothered amused noises. Adrian couldn't help but smile back, patting her head gently before she let go and bounced around to hug their mother next.

“It's always interesting when people take it upon themselves to rewrite old stories,” Sypha said meditatively. “That was actually pretty good.”

Trevor and Anna, he noticed, were staying more quiet than usual. He glanced at them and saw that once again they were attached at the hand; it made him curious, and a little worried. Was something wrong with them?

Anna caught his glance and smiled a little, a brief flash of strain showing before it was politely hidden as Mina jumped on her next.

“Hey now, short stuff,” Trevor said with a slight grin. “Don't squish Anna, she's fragile~”

“I am not,” Anna huffed, lightly hugging Mina back as the child giggled. “You're the one that everything likes to bite. Wait, no, don't-”

Adrian laughed as Mina promptly—jokingly if he was any sort of judge—promptly tried to bite Trevor. Trevor jumped back, tripped on one of the folding chairs, and went down, making the other three laugh, and Mina beamed proudly.

“We don't pretend to bite people,” Lisa said, though it sounded much less stern than it probably ought to. “That's impolite.”

“...sorry,” Mina said, abashed as Anna and Sypha helped Trevor get back up. “It sounded funny...”

“It was,” and Adrian ruffled her hair gently. “But perhaps don't do it often. Are you all right, Trevor?”

“...busted my pride, but I'm good,” he replied after a moment of brushing himself off. “What's up next?”

Adrian glanced at his mother.

“We could stay for the talent exhibition if you'd like, but there's nothing else that we need to remain for,” Lisa replied. “I just need to get the recording of the play for Vlad, if you're all ready to leave.”

Sypha, Adrian noticed, looked slightly disappointed... but Anna and Trevor looked relieved, and if he was being honest, he was starting to feel a bit thin around the edges.

“I think that would be nice,” he said after a moment. “It's been a much noisier day than we've had recently.”

“Other than everything wanting to bite me,” Trevor joked, cheerfully scooping Mina up and tossing her over his shoulder, much to her delighted squeals.

“You are, for some reason, bite bait,” Sypha said mock-thoughtfully. “I do wonder at the cause~”

“Says someone who wants to bite me,” Trevor retorted, setting Mina back down so he could pounce on Sypha.

Sypha laughed and elbowed him as he mockingly growled and pretended to bite her instead. Mina's giggled were echoed by their mother, and Adrian couldn't hep but smile a little himself.

“Perhaps we should go home and have something to eat so no one needs to bite anyone,” he suggested delicately, reaching out and twining his fingers with Anna's as he tugged her gently closer to him. “Do some swimming, maybe?”

“Okay, but are we going back to the lake, because those ducks are real d... dorks,” Trevor corrected quickly, “and jokes aside, I really don't want to get bit twice in two days.”

“Ooo, you should come have dinner with us!” Mina said, bouncing on her toes. “You can see the basement pool!”

“It would be nice to have a meal together,” Lisa said with a fond smile, “but only if everyone else wants to as well.”

“Are we talking a restaurant, or a home-meal?” Sypha asked, beating Adrian to the question. “I think we can do one, but not the other... it really _has_ been a long day.”

“Awwww!”

“Mina, be polite,” Lisa reproved gently. “You know it's hard to be in crowds for your brother.”

“I could... manage, I think. If it's a calm place. But,” Adrian smiled a little, ruefully. “It's tradition still, isn't it? To head for the Garden Grill?”

Lisa nodded, her own smile a bit on the sheepish side.

“The Garden Grill?” Trevor asked.

“They make some good food, but it's quite noisy from what I recall. I would... honestly, rather not, Mina,” Adrian said gently. “My apologies.”

Mina pouted a little, but refrained from the foot stomp he remembered his brother doing when he was the same age and Adrian had been... had been...?

He shook his head gently, briefly, and felt Anna's hand squeeze his. When he glanced down at her, he saw concern wrapped around fatigue, and pulled her closer to snuggle lightly.

“Yeah, I think we're for home, honestly,” Trevor said after a moment. “Maybe next time, kiddo.”

“Okaaaaaay.”

It pinched Adrian's heart a little to hear the disappointment, but when his mother gave a sympathetic nod, he took comfort from that. Now that he was letting himself notice it, he _was_ tired, and it was plain that only Sypha had energy left to spare.

“Mina, dear, did you want to stay here at the school for a bit?” Lisa asked. “I know you like to visit your friend's classes and see what they've done.”

“But they're going home,” And this time the pout was a little more overt. “It's no fun without people, Mama!”

Lisa chuckled a little.

“It's all right to stay and have fun without us, Mina,” Adrian said reassuringly. “We're all rather old and tired, that's all.”

“You're not old,” Mina protested. “Mr. Lancaster is old! He's _forty!_ ”

Trevor snickered a little.

“God, I remember being your age,” he said as they started for the parking lot. “Forty wasn't just old, it was _ancient_. My dad...” his voice faltered a moment. “My dad was getting close to that age, and I'd sometimes ask him if he'd seen dinosaurs. You know? And then he'd relate to me all the _old_ stories of family history until I ran off because I was bored.”

Adrian reached over with his free hand and squeezed Trevor's shoulder; other than hints, Trevor never spoke of what had happened to his birth family. And because he cared about Trevor, he hadn't gone digging; he would either tell them himself, or he wouldn't.

“Family history?” Mina asked.

“Loads. Nothing terribly interesting, though.”

Trevor's tone was lightly, but something must have gotten through, because Mina's curiosity shifted to Sypha.

“What's _your_ family like?”

“Large and noisy,” Sypha replied comfortably. “I don't have any direct siblings, but I have a bunch of cousins, who were the next best thing. We're a big family of scholars, so everyone's gone into _some_ sort of situation where we can get our hands on as much knowledge as possible. I know maybe four different versions of the play your class put on, but my grandfather knows closer to thirty. Memorized.”

“Woooow!” Mina's eyes glittered with renewed delight, and Adrian felt more than saw Trevor let out a small, relieved breath. “How many are there?”

“So many, and more are made each day,” Sypha replied with a small grin. “That's human nature; we love our stories.”

Adrian let his awareness of the conversation slip a little, glancing down briefly at Anna who was staying quiet, her head lightly nudged up against his arm. Tired, he decided after a moment. And something about the school, her and Trevor both.

Well, they would get home, have a quiet meal, and then do something relaxing. And maybe they would talk, or maybe they wouldn't, but he and Sypha were there... and that was what counted at the end of the day.

-

“It's nothing really dramatic, school just... sucked ass,” Trevor said, leaning back on the couch. “Or trans-gov had a shitty charter of care for the people; they were funded, sure, but badly, and... well, between school and home life...”

He shook his head a little.

“It was just draining to be there,” he continued after a moment. “And hella envy-inducing. Shit, thinking about all the ways the money could have improved shit...”

“It is what it is, it was what it was,” Anna said quietly, legs tucked up to her chest. “We can't change it. We can only move beyond it.”

“Which you both have,” Sypha said quickly.

“...should we not go to further school excursions?” Adrian asked, worry clear in his tone.

Trevor and Anna shared a look; after a moment, he shrugged.

“I don't know. I mean, it was fun seeing Mina all excited and the play was cute, it's just...”

“It's hard to look at it, and think 'what could we have done with this sort of facility?',” Anna finished after a moment.

“Yeah. That. But maybe less fancy. Hell, the smallest classroom _there_ was bigger than ours.”

“Etitran was a frontier fringe world,” Anna replied. “It was a hard life, and it...”

She sighed a little, and rubbed her face wearily. It was ridiculous to be like this; Mina's school was wonderful, everything about it had been amazing. She'd been a little worried that it would bring up old, bad memories, but she hadn't thought they would be _this_ strong, for _either_ of them.

“Maybe next time we just go for whatever Mina's involved in, and then leave after?” Sypha suggested. “Limit the exposure chance of bad memories.”

“I wouldn't mind that,” Adrian said, his arms dropping around both Trevor's and Anna's shoulders. “That was certainly exhausting for me as well... Seeing old teachers was a bit... unnerving.”

“Unnerving?” Trevor asked.

“Is there another term for when you cannot remember people who knew you?” he asked a bit dryly.

Trevor blinked, and Anna felt him lean more firmly against Adrian, even as she did. The kharaa and prolonged isolation had done a number on Adrian's memories, though he'd never really elaborated about how _much_ damage had been inflicted.

“So it's agreed,” Sypha said briskly. “We'll go see Mina's talent things, but only for what she's in, and then we'll politely leave so that we don't get too overwhelmed.”

“...fortunately, that won't be hard. Mina's as much an outdoors child as my brother and I were; once school lets out for the summer, she'll be happily going to a sleep-away camp for about a month,” Adrian said with a small smile. “No dance or piano recitals that might require us to sit in an audience for several hours worth of time.”

“Oh good,” and Trevor groaned theatrically. “Stazi did piano, remember, Anna?”

Anna grimaced; that was a set of memories she could have lived the rest of her life without thinking about really, but Trevor clearly needed to talk about _something_ , and stopping him was too much effort at the moment.

“Stazi was _convinced_ that she was going to be the next great wonder,” Trevor elaborated when Adrian and Sypha made curious noises. “So were Aunt Jessamine and Aunt Tamara. They never wasted an opportunity to get Stazi to perform for the family, and we were _obliged_ to attend every recital.”

“....you ran off more than you attended,” Anna pointed out. “And half the time you dragged me along so that we _both_ got yelled at.”

“...yeah, okay, my bad. But seriously, Stazi wasn't even that _good_.”

Anna closed her eyes, and just shrugged lightly.

“She was ten, Trevor. None of us were very good at _anything_ when we were ten.”

“...I was good at hand to hand,” Trevor said after a moment.

Sypha snorted.

“You were good at _brawling_ ,” Anna retorted without opening her eyes. Adrian's heartbeat was really quite soothing like this. “Because every time someone got a lucky hit on you, all the rules of combat went out the window and you proceeded to use whatever you could to win.”

“Hey, whoever said the phrase 'fight fair' has never been in a real fight,” Trevor retorted.

“Not that I'm disagreeing, but you're both getting rather worked up, so perhaps we should... change the subject?” Sypha interjected before Anna could take a breath.

“....oh. Uh...”

Just going by his tone, Trevor was likely grimacing. Anna just reached around Adrian to squeeze Trevor's shoulder, silent apology and forgiveness all in one. He did the same, and tired or not, she couldn't help but smile; he was an ass, sure, but he was family, and she loved him anyways.

“I think you need a nap,” Adrian murmured, nuzzling her gently.

“Mn... M'fine.”

“You're practically asleep right here,” Sypha said, amusement clear in her voice. “Go take a nap, Anna, it's fine.”

“I can-”

“Anna.”

She opened her eyes enough to look up at Adrian, who was giving her a stern look.

“You need a nap, tiny and terrifying doctor-person,” Trevor said dryly, because Adrian could say anything else. “Go be a cuddlefish and nap~”

“Being a cuddlefish is _your_ job,” Anna retorted, though she couldn't help but smile. “Remember the headsmash?~”

Trevor blushed and huffed in mild embarrassment. Adrian and Sypha snickered, then Adrian gently eased her into his arms. Knowing what came next, Anna was prepared when he picked her up as he stood, and snugged her head against his shoulder.

“Yes, Trevor is the cuddlefish,” he agreed, which cued up some embarrassed spluttering from Trevor, “but you are the one I enjoy cuddling the most. And I wouldn't mind a nap myself. That was... draining. Moreso than I expected it would be. So we can nap together while Sypha finds some way to distract Trevor.~”

“I can think of a few things,” Sypha said cheerfully.

“...so can I~” and she didn't have to see her cousin to know his grin was probably lascivious.

“Then it's settled, we shall all be indisposed for a few hours,” Adrian said.

“Enjoy your nap~” Sypha replied.

Anna blushed, hearing the innuendo in their girlfriend's voice, and hid a little against Adrian's shoulder.

“And you enjoy your distraction,” Adrian replied with a small snicker as he moved for the bedroom.

-

Adrian set Anna onto her feet, and brought a hand up to her cheek gently.

“Are you sure you're all right?” he asked, letting his thumb caress her skin.

“...I'll live, Adrian,” she murmured, leaning into the touch and against him. “It's just... bad memories. That's all. They can be as draining as physical pain...”

He hugged her firmly, resting his chin on her head.

“You know you can talk to me about them...”

“I know. And... maybe some day I'll be able to,” and he felt her fingers curling into his shirt. “But I don't want to think about that right now, okay?”

“All right,” and he shifted, kissing her forehead. “Do you want to just nap?”

She nodded, and he nuzzled her gently.

“...do you?”

“I want to do whatever puts you at ease right now,” he said firmly. “If you just want to lay down and cuddle, well... I wasn't lying when I said that whole event was more draining than I thought it would be.”

She was quiet, and there was something pensive about that silence. Enough so that he nudged her gently, making a small, inquisitive sound.

“....you don't have to stay,” she finally said. “If... if you want to join Trevor and Sypha in their... um...”

She flushed, and he couldn't help smiling, even as he kissed her forehead.

“I am quite sure that will degenerate quickly into-”

“No, I know,” she interrupted. “I know that... and.. and it's okay. If you want to join them.”

He blinked, and stared at her for a moment.

“...Anna...?”

She blushed a little more, and ducked her head.

“M'not saying I don't want you to nap with me,” she mumbled, looking down at the floor. “I like... being next to you, and I know I sleep better if you're here. But... but if you want to. It's okay. I mean it. I already told Sypha it was okay too, b-but she thought I should wait a bit, until we'd settled here before...”

“Before?” he prompted gently when her voice faltered.

“...before... before shaking things up again....”

Her voice was almost gone by the time she finished, and after a moment he gently tipped her head up and kissed her delicately.

“I'll keep it in mind,” he murmured, then kissed her again. “But right now, I just want to stay with you.”

He felt her relax, kissed her a third time, then tucked her close, holding her gently even as he tried to process what she'd just indicated. He wasn't _entirely_ sure she was as all right with it as she was saying, and he would be sure to check again before he did _anything_ with the other two...

But it was hard to not be elated that she had more or less told him it was okay for him to start exploring the physical side of his relationship with Trevor and Sypha.

“...'drian?”

“Hm?”

“....I'd like to... indulge a little bit?”

Adrian chuckled softly, kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, then her mouth, soft and sweet.

“Okay. If that's what you'd like to do first, I think I'd certainly enjoy that as well.”

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

What did I ever do to earn someone like her?


	5. Chapter 5

Five

“You're sure about this?”

“Yes,” Anna said patiently.

“Absolutely sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure.”

“Absolutely, one hundred percent-”

“ _Trevor_! I'm _sure_ , it's _fine_ , now are you going to help me or not?”

Trevor held up his hands with a small grin.

“Okay, okay, but usually you put up as much a fuss about this sort of thing as I do, so I had to be positive,” he said.

“Troll,” she grumbled half-heartedly, reaching over to give him a small shove. “You can't leave it _all_ up to Sypha and Lisa, you know. You're the groom.”

“Yeah, and I already have my best lady, who is my adorable cousin,” and he grinned shamelessly. “I don't really think I have much else to _offer_ , and you skipped the whole thing entirely.”

Anna made a face at him, then shrugged lightly; she wasn't about to admit that maybe she was regretting it, just a little. But it had been such a relief to _be_ married, and saying nothing had been a bit of petty revenge against all the news 'zines that had made much of Adrian's every word and gesture. The stability it had given her, to know that she was Adrian's wife, not just his lover....

“What colors are in your theme?”

“Sypha's partial to blues,” Trevor replied immediately. “I think I've seen every shade of blue in existence and then some, but she finally picked this and the gold...”

“...you know I'm putting the crest on everything, right?~”

It was his turn to groan.

“That old thing isn't even worth a fig,” he grumbled.

“Sure it is. It's history, Trevor, one of the things your family held on to through your whole line. You can't just get rid of it.”

“Yes I can,” he retorted. “The Belmont crest never got me anything but mocked as a kid.”

“...I'm pretty sure that's because you drew it on everything just to piss people off,” she pointed out, half-smiling. “I know you don't think it's amazingly important, but it's part of your history, Trevor, you family line. Can you really let go of it that easily?”

Trevor was quiet for several minutes, then he sighed.

“No, I suppose not... But don't emulate my shitty drawings, here, gimme that for a second...”

She handed over the data pad and smiled as Trevor scowled down at it, and started working.

“It feels so damn dramatic,” he muttered.

“You've got four months to prepare, and the only one to blame is yourself,” she replied serenely.

“No, the one to blame is _Sypha_ , because this is for her,” Trevor retorted. “I'd rather do it the way you and Adrian did.... but it'll make her happy. So I'm doing it.”

Anna smiled, leaning affectionately against her cousin as he tried to draw the old crest from memory.

“....bet Adrian would be okay with you doing one now.”

“Adrian wasn't the one who decided against it, Trevor,” Anna pointed out with tolerant humor. “That was my choice. Besides, I don't want to compete with Sypha over this; she should get as stress-free a wedding as possible.”

Not that she hadn't considered it, but... Absently she ran her thumb over the wedding ring, feeling the mix of smooth gold and crystal, and half-smiled. It had been so difficult to say the words into the microphone to have the voiceprint for Adrian's ring. She's said the words so soft and shy, and he'd said them....

She half-closed her eyes, and let out a small breath.

“What?”

“Hm? Nothing. Just thinking.”

“We could do a double ceremony~”

“Trevor, at least half of Sypha's family is coming for _her_ ,” she pointed out dryly. “And again, I really don't want to have one. Why are you being pushy? If we did a double, you wouldn't get to watch anyways!”

“I know, I know....” He frowned at the crest, erased it and started again. “I just... hn. It feels like you decided against a ceremony mostly out of spite. Not letting any press know, not letting Alterra know outside of the registration...”

“...well, you're not entirely wrong,” Anna said after a minute. “I suppose there was a bit of spite involved. But... I also didn't want a lot of fuss. It was.... Adrian was falling apart, even if we couldn't see it. Between work and the planet claim.... I just didn't want him to have to put up with a great fuss.”

She wasn't about to admit that she was maybe just a _little_ worried that her family might have tried to crash such an event too. They didn't care too much about Trevor, when all was said and done, but she was blood, and.... they would have tried to take advantage of that. Somehow.

“Okay, but we're here now?”

“Yes, we're here on Athena, but that doesn't mean the problems go away,” Anna said patiently. “They just change shape. People are going to hear about the phsaegates, and the planned Atlantis adventures, and they're going to want to know who owns the planet. Well, technically _Adrian_ owns the planet, and he's going to need to enter into trade negotiations at some point with the Apollo trans-gov to pay them back for everything we're making use of via Tepes Industries. People are going to look at Adrian and think he's in charge, when all he wants to do is go home and _stay_ there.”

Trevor was quiet for a few minutes, then sighed a little.

“It's just one more thing he doesn't need to have to fuss with,” she continued after a moment. “We're married. I don't need some... ceremony, big or small, to let everyone else know that. I _have_ what I....”

She faltered, looking down at her hand. Gently she twisted the smooth band, taking comfort from the glittering greens and blues in the black opal-esque inset.

“I have something I never thought I'd get, Trevor. Freely given, earned... gods, I don't know how, honestly.”

“By being a stubborn pain in the ass,” and he grinned at her as she made an exasperated noise. “I was totally right when I called you his girlfriend back on the Nautilus.”

“...Trevor, he was so badly traumatized back then that I didn't want to make it an unhealthy thing,” she said reprovingly. “It would have gone that way all to easily, and that wouldn't have been _right_.”

“I know. But I was still right. And you got married first~”

She made another exasperated noise and gave him a gentle shove; he grinned and gently shoved back, then wrapped an arm around her in a fond hug.

“I mean, we kind of pushed him to do it too,” he admitted after a moment. “But still. I spent three years getting Sypha to like me enough, and you accomplished that kind of thing in a third of the time. Can't I give you a _little_ shit about it?~”

Anna sighed, then hugged back, before gently tapping his chin with her fist.

“No,” she said primly. “It's not _my_ fault you have terrible manners and don't know how to flirt.”

He mock-reeled, slipped, and fell out of his chair. Anna looked at him for a moment, then ducked her head and started to laugh.

-

“You really think she's all right with this?” Adrian asked as he leaned absently against the fence that marked the easy hiking trail. It was a good place to stop with a nice view, so they had elected to take a break.

“I'm not entirely sure,” Sypha admitted. “But I think she's _convinced_ herself to be all right with it.”

“That's not the same.”

“No, but it is sort of a character trait for Anna,” Sypha said with a small, resigned sigh. “She _wants_ it to be okay, so it _will_ be okay, even if it's really not...”

Adrian sighed a little, and nodded as he sipped his water. That was definitely true to form for Ana, from Atlantis to here. She was bound and determined to make everything smooth and easy, and he _appreciated_ it, he truly did, but he couldn't help wondering what the cost would be to her.

“We should probably sit down and talk about it, all of us, even if it will be extremely awkward for her and Trevor,” he said after a moment. “Which will be a job in and of itself, I know...”

Sypha snickered a little, half-shrugging.

“It's Anna,” she said. “She's exasperating in her inability to self-care~ But that's why she has us.”

Adrian half-smiled, and took in a careful breath; they weren't very high, but the air felt a bit thin, and the last thing he wanted was to upset everyone by fainting thanks to lack of oxygen. The Alterran geneticist, and the doctors of the hospital had done wonders in helping him to reacclimatize to planetary life that _wasn't_ eight hundred meters down in the water and darkness, but there was only so much modern medicine could do, and he was much more comfortable at or below planetary sea level than above it.

“If she truly does mean it,” he began cautiously.

“If she truly does, then I'm glad, and I look forward to the fun, but I'm not going to jump on it with both feet,” Sypha replied with a grin. “No offense, you are _very_ pretty, and I imagine we can have a lot of fun, but....”

“But you are undoubtedly Trevor's primary partner, as I am Anna's.”

“Mmhm~ And there's nothing wrong with that. Though we might have to restrain Trevor a little,” and she rolled her eyes with tolerant humor. “Or sic ducks on him~”

Adrian laughed, shaking his head a little.

“Let's _not_ do that, the poor things might get indigestion.”

Now it was Sypha's turn to laugh.

“I really do wonder what it is about him that makes things try to eat him,” Adrian mused, shaking his head a little. “It's not like he's terribly slow or uncoordinated...”

“He's big, and if you don't know him, gives off an intimidating air,” Sypha pointed out with an amused smile. “Especially when he's _trying_ to be intimidating. I never got that from him, because I only ever saw him around Anna... which was fun, really. Up until I saw her with Trevor, I didn't realize she _could_ speak up, or make such faces. It was an education to be sure.”

“She said you two were roommates on the Aurora,” he said after a moment. “What was that like?”

They turned and started heading back down the trail as Sypha thought for a few minutes.

“Well, there was us, and two other people who ID'd as femme,” she said. “Carol and... I forget the other one's name. We all had different shifts, and I think they worked down in the cargo bay or engineering with Trevor. Usually it'd be me and Anna in the room while they were working, and they'd be in while we were out.”

He nodded, lifting his head a little as a trio of whitewings flew across the trail; a parent and two juveniles, maybe...

“Anna was painfully shy while we were in the room, but you know me. I'm not,” and Sypha grinned. “So I started talking to her, and after a bit of coaxing, she'd talk back. Working in the labs meant the occasional injury, and when she's being professional, she's such a different person, you know?”

He nodded; he certainly did know. Anna the professional caretaker could be stern and short, armed with a cool dignity that let her stand up for the people under her care, if not necessarily herself. He had enjoyed seeing that side of her... but he also knew it took a great deal of energy for her to maintain it.

“And meeting Trevor?”

“A complete fluke; Anna had _no idea_ he was on the ship,” Sypha snickered a little. “She spotted him in the mess, and was gone so quick I think she might have fainted or something, but no, she was across the room, chattering a mile a minute to this big, muscle-bound guy who looked like he'd been hit by a board! It was hilarious, and surprising all at once.”

“...we do show different sides of ourselves to the different people in our lives,” he murmured, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“Mmhm,” Sypha nodded. “It was a major surprise though; my tiny, quiet roommate actually _voluntarily_ talking to someone, running up to them? I wondered if I'd hit my head at first until she pulled him over to where we'd planned to sit and made him join us.”

Adrian chuckled a little, well able to picture that. Anna rarely got pushy about things, but when she did, she was a force to be reckoned with.

“I really don't know who was _more_ surprised, Trevor or me,” Sypha continued, waving a hand lightly for emphasis. “Though I didn't exactly have the best impression of him from the start. He was _cute_ , but he was also kind of a jerk, and I didn't understand how someone like Anna could not only want to be near him, but clearly find it _fun_. It.... took a few months before I started to get it.”

“And now you're marrying the big lunk. In.. what, four months?”

“Yes,” and Sypha beamed. “Lisa said Mina will be back from summer camp by then, the moths will swarm like you described, and it's far enough out that most of my family will be able to take time off to visit and see the ceremony~”

Adrian chuckled a little, shaking his head slightly.

“....do you think I should ask Anna if she wants to have a ceremony here?” he inquired after a thoughtful moment. “I know she had her reasons on Torrens, but...”

Sypha was quiet for a moment, then laced her hands together behind her head and looked at him sidelong.

“I think Anna's perfectly happy with how things happened,” she said frankly. “Personally, I think the stability of knowing she's not just your primary partner but your wife is the important part to her... from what she and Trevor have let slip, emotional stability was... very much not a thing for them.”

“Which is why you were the one who proposed instead of Trevor,” he teased gently.

“If I waited for him to ask, we'd probably still just be lovers,” Sypha said mock-primly. Then chuckled slightly. “Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I want to be his wife. I like the word, I like the feeling it gives me, and I think it'll help him the way it helped Anna.”

“And you love him.”

“Yes,” and her smile went soft. “I do love him. Him and his idiocy and ridiculous antics, and inability to be serious for longer than ten minutes. Not that I don't love you and Anna too. But it's....”

Adrian chuckled a little, then wrapped an arm around her in a fond hug.

“Different,” he agreed. “We are all a family, no matter what, though. Agreed?”

“Agreed. And we're _better_ family than they had.”

“..yes. We are.”

-

Anna blinked. Blinked again. Looked from Adrian to Sypha, and then blinked a third time, tipping her head in abject confusion.

“I already said yes, why are we talking about it?” she asked.

“Because you have a very bad habit of saying yes to things when you don't mean it,” Trevor said dryly.

She glared at him slightly, and he shrugged, flushing just a little.

“He _is_ right, Anna,” Sypha said gently. “You _want_ it to be okay, but there are times when you say that but it's definitely not. We just want to be sure because no one wants a misunderstanding. I know what you said before we left, but you've been under a _lot_ of strain lately, just as much as Adrian...”

“...I... thought it's what you... wanted?” And she looked up at Adrian uncertainly, heart thumping painfully loud in her ears.

“It is,” and he rested a gentle hand on her back, rubbing soothing little circles. “And I know this is awkward and uncomfortable, but Sypha's right. I don't want a misunderstanding that would cause any of us to be hurt later.”

“Awkward is _not_ the word I'd use,” Trevor muttered.

Anna flushed a little herself, and had to agree. Of all the topics, discussing sex was the one she found the most discomforting. It was one thing to be a doctor and be professional and clinical about it; it was another thing entirely to talk about what might or might not happen between the three of them.

“We're not going to immediately jump into anything regardless,” Adrian said. “But it's one thing to accidentally misunderstand, it's another thing to deliberately do it. Since we don't want deliberate harm, awkward or not, there are some boundaries that we all should lay out.”

“...like no flaunting,” Sypha said dryly, elbowing Trevor gently.

“Hey, I do not flaunt,” he said, mock-offended. “And I wouldn't flaunt anything I got from Adrian anyways! It'd confuse people and confused people ask stupid questions.”

Adrian snorted a little, rolling his eyes tolerantly.

“We'd need to keep enthusiastic marks on the low side anyways,” he said dryly. “You're not working with the public, but Sypha and Anna will be, and there are conservative people everywhere who think such displays are not.... _becoming_.”

“Do... Would you feel better knowing or not knowing, Anna?”

Anna blinked, and looked up at Sypha, then flushed a little, and looked away again.

“....probably not,” she admitted after a moment. “I won't... _don't_ object to you two... or three... having fun, but I'd... I'm...”

Adrian hugged her softly, nuzzling lightly.

“....I just don't want to think about it,” Anna finally mumbled, blushing brightly.

“I think I'm with Anna,” Trevor said after a moment, also crimson-cheeked. “You can have fun, but I don't want to know the details, if or when.”

Anna glanced at Trevor, and there was hard mutual understanding; neither one of them wanted to think about the other _naked,_ let alone sexually. It was just too... disturbing. He was more her brother than her cousin, and no matter how distant the relation, they had grown up together. It didn't feel right to either one of them.

“But it... really is okay,” Anna finished, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. She really just wanted this conversation to end; hiding was starting to feel like a really good idea. “I mean it. You'll be happy, and... I'll be happy with that.”

Adrian kissed her temple, hugging her gently, and Sypha sighed a little. It sounded more like resignation than relief to Anna, and she suspected the topic might come up again... but for the moment it felt resolved, and she was inclined to just let it drop.

“Are we doing a vid now?” Trevor asked. His tone suggested that he too was inclined to drop the subject like a hot potato. “Because I thought that was the point behind tonight, not...”

“Yes yes, we'll do a vid now,” Sypha said, her tone dry. “Who's turn is it to pick?”

“Mine, I think,” Adrian said, though he didn't seem inclined to move. “But I'll pass in favor of whatever Trevor wants to watch tonight. I'm not sure I have the energy to actually choose.”

“Oh good. Let's see...”

-

Adrian smoothed Anna's hair gently as she curled up against him, her arm draping gingerly over his chest. She seemed more relaxed now, at least, and he was inclined to take that as a good sign.

“Remind me why I let Trevor pick the movie?” he murmured.

She snorted a little, then yawned.

“Because there was too much awkward, and Trevor's movies favor explosions and no convoluted storylines,” she replied promptly, if drowsily. “Nothing you have to think hard about or dig into for a meaning.”

“Ah. Right...” He was quiet for a moment, then nuzzled at her gently. “May I ask a question?”

“....only if I don't actually have to answer it...”

He chuckled softly, kissing her forehead.

“It's nothing so dire as the pre-vid discussion, I promise. I was just... curious to know if you wanted a wedding ceremony here. Where we're not infamous for... a number of things, really, so there wouldn't be anything like what you were worrying about on Torrens...”

She lifted her head a little, and blinked at him muzzily, then snugged back down against his shoulder.

“...is everyone going to ask me this question?” she muttered, sounding briefly grumpy. “Trevor did. Now you. I'm _fine_.”

He hesitated a moment, then nuzzled her cautiously. She sighed a little, and her arm tightened briefly across his chest.

“I don't need it. I don't _want_ it. I liked the way we did it, in little bits and pieces, all... secret and stealthy. That was... _cute_. And funny. And.... and it was enough.”

“All right,” he said soothingly. “I won't ask again, darling, I just wanted to know.”

She sighed again, and he felt tension slide away.

“...sorry. I don't mean to be... grumpy,” she murmured. “It's... it's been a day.”

“It has,” he agreed, tugging at her gently. “Sypha thought it best to address the concerns of... _that_ sooner rather than later, however awkward. I rather wish we could have... _eased_ into it, but.”

“But Sypha,” and he could hear the smile in her voice as she shifted until she was laying on him as he'd been hoping she would.

“Yes,” he agreed, looping his arms comfortably around her as she tucked her head under his chin. “She will be straightforward.”

“...I suppose it was for the best. But... I'd rather not have that sort of... talk again. Please? I'd _really_ rather not think about Trevor like _that_.”

He chuckled softly, and squeezed her fondly, making her squeak a little.

“I cannot blame you,” he admitted. “I can only imagine how awkward it would be to have that sort of conversation with my brother involved...”

The thought made him shudder a little, and earned him a tiny snicker.

“Are you going to be starting work with Mother soon? It's been a month now...”

“Mn... I know, I just...” she sighed a little, and her fingers curled loosely against his chest. “I'm being dumb, I suppose.”

“About what?”

“.....I'm fussing about you. Sypha's going to work in one of the daycares part time, Trevor's doing duty in your father's local warehouse, and I'll be at the clinics with your mother.... I'll miss you...”

Adrian smiled a little, and nuzzled her fondly.

“I'll miss you too,” he admitted. “But you did have a good idea for me, not to mention adroit timing; Father wants every bit of information about the planet that I have and then some, to help prepare the potential science team and xenbi researchers for what might be on Atlantis. Sypha promises to be very firm on her schedules so that I'm not alone for more than an hour, and I know Mother will work with you on that.”

She made a non-committal noise, and he nuzzled her again.

“Not to mention we'll go together to therapy appointments, since they're in the same building,” he added, then teasingly nipped her temple, making he squeak a little again. “It's not the same as spending days together, but I think we can manage. And you know Mother; if she starts thinking you're working too hard, she'll let you know.”

“I know... I can't help it, though...”

Adrian nudged her gently until he could press a soft kiss to her mouth.

“I know,” he replied, then kissed her delicately again. “It's part of what makes you impossibly adorable. I promise, everything will be all right, Anna. If something happens, I can reach you quickly through the priority line; Mother insisted on that after witnessing the... episode I had the other day.”

He felt her wince a little, and let his hands stroke her back gently. It hadn't been anyone's fault, really, he'd just... gotten to talking about Atlantis with Vlad, and slipped back there for a bit. It had taken roughly an hour to bring him back to reality, and had drained him enough that he'd needed to return to the rental house and be more or less flattened in a cuddlepile before he'd felt properly settled again.

“....Adrian?”

“Hm?”

“Have you talked to Eliza lately?”

“Ah.... not in a vid-chat, no, but we've messaged quite a bit. She and Charri are settled happily in Adonis, and quite busy with both work and children. Did you want to say hello?”

He felt her nod and smiled a little; Anna was still painfully shy with non-work-related relationships, so it was nice to know that she wanted to talk with Eliza too.

“I'll let her know to expect a message of some sort from you, then,” he said comfortably, then yawned a little. “In the morning. I think now it's decidedly time to sleep.”

She yawned too, and gave a small, content murmur as he snuggled her.

“...'drian?”

“Hm?”

“....love....”

He kissed her temple softly.

“I know, my light. Me too.”

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

Anna will start work the same week as Sypha. That should be interesting. Trevor's already looking forward to having something to do, and has made many startled noises about the rate he's being paid. I told him my father knows how dangerous warehouse work can be, and pays his people accordingly, but he didn't believe me until he saw his first credit transfer. That was amusing.

I'm going to be going over my old notes to glean what I can about the kharaa and the environment of Atlantis for Father and the people being selected to go out on the first starship to Atlantis. Anna is right to worry, I think, but I know that between her and Sypha, I should have a fairly firm grounding in the now.... if nothing else, I wouldn't put it past either one of them to hide the data pad for a few hours if they think I'm getting too lost.

Something still feels.... off. I'd have thought by this point Anna would have adjusted well enough to Athena's thirty hour cycle, but she still seems... I don't know. I want to ask, but I don't think she's noticed, and if I bring it up with Mother, that might be an invasion of privacy. If nanite tech didn't function the way it does, I would worry about her possibly being pregnant, but... well, that's not possible. Not yet, anyways. Until we're both agreed on having a child, that won't happen.

I hope it's nothing, but I'll try and keep an eye on her while I can...


	6. Chapter 6

Six

Adrian winced; even with the sunglasses, sunhat, sun _screen_ , and sheer clothing, the summer sun of Athena had proved to be rather... well, merciless.

“...you look like a boiled crab,” Trevor said frankly.

“...not far from how I'm feeling, honestly,” he admitted, wincing again and hissing a little as Anna carefully smoothed the medicated cream over his skin. “I suppose I should have paid more attention...”

“I think we were all a _bit_ distracted,” Sypha said sympathetically. “It was an energetic party.”

“It really was...”

Mina's schooling had entered their summer break; two and a half months where children didn't need to get up and prepare to learn. To that end, there had been an active party down at the lake, with all sorts of water games, games, grilled foods, and excited children. Mina had done her best to drag him more or less everywhere, and when he'd needed to rest, she had brought the fun and games to him.

“I thought we'd taken enough precautions,” he sighed a little.

“I don't think there's such thing as _enough_ precautions with you,” Trevor teased.

“It's not like we could have muffled you from head to toe in sunblocking clothing,” Sypha pointed out, kicking Trevor gently. “If we'd done that, you would have passed out from heatstroke.”

“Or worse,” Anna muttered.

“....knowing my luck, probably worse,” Adrian said, smiling even though that hurt too.

He'd managed to avoid burning his forehead and the skin around his eyes, at least, but anywhere his hair and clothes hadn't covered—and he'd had his hair tied back in a tail to keep it out of the way of the festivities—was a bright, angry red. If it hadn't been for Starie asking why he looked like a lobster man, he might not have noticed until it was much worse.

“Your luck isn't all terrible,” Anna said, glancing over at the scanner and it's data feed briefly. “But sleeping is going to be a trial for a few days until your skin starts to peel. Sorry dear...”

He grimaced a little then held still as she delicately applied the cream to the lower half of his face.

“Other doctorly recommendations?” he asked.

“Lots of water, and gentle foods,” she said, her tone sympathetic. “Cool baths will be good too....”

“If it wasn't all over, and so bad, I'd say we pat you down with vinegar,” Sypha said. “Mom used to do that for me when I'd get sunburned in the summer. It takes the worst of the heat out, though it does leave you feeling a bit stiff...”

“I think I'll take the cream and the idea of a tepid bath over smelling like vinegar all day,” Adrian said dryly.

“Don't want to be edible~?” Trevor teased.

“Right now, I don't think there's any part of me that welcomes that thought even as a joke,” Adrian retorted.

Trevor raised his hands lightly, then winced a little as Sypha kicked him, less gently this time.

“We can turn the mattress into a waterbed for a few days,” Anna said, clearly ignoring the by-play as she moved around and started slathering the cream on Adrian's back. “That'll help cushion your body better, and may make sleeping less difficult.”

“That will be... interesting.”

“As long as it doesn't pop,” Trevor said with a snicker.

“...Trevor, if you're not going to be helpful, go away,” Anna said, exasperation clear in her tone. “ _Please_. Go... go talk to Lisa or Vlad or _something_.”

Trevor shrugged, and got to his feet, then carefully patted Adrian on the head before walking out of the room.

“Do you need any other help, Anna?” Sypha asked after a moment.

“No...”

The cream was already doing wonderful work; a coolness was spreading down his skin and he relaxed a little as Sypha stood up as well.

“Then I'll go make sure he doesn't make a pest of himself to the people that followed us home,” she said.

“Thank you, Sypha,” and Adrian's smile was a little less pained. “Maybe see about getting him pinned under the children so that he doesn't have a leg to stand on?”

Sypha snickered, nodded, and left the room.

“....that was mean of me,” Anna muttered after a moment as she moved around front to get his shins.

“Maybe, but you're allowed to be annoyed,” Adrian replied, lightly touching her cheek as she crouched. “He was being obnoxious.”

She made a noncommittal noise, and he let out a faint breath of relief as the coolness spread to his back.

“...I really should have kept my shirt on,” he sighed ruefully. “Or not let Mina drag me around _quite_ so much.”

“Probably both, but... well, I don't think any of us expected you to really burn this quickly,” Anna said gently, her hands carefully rubbing cream onto the top of his foot. “Or quite this much.”

“We've been more careful when it's just us than we were today, I admit,” he said, carefully shaking his head a little; he was going to have to wear his hair up for a few days at the least... “The party atmosphere had me letting down my guard...”

“That and the presence of friends,” and she glanced up at him, a small, gently teasing smile on her face.

“That too,” he agreed.

It hadn't taken a lot of effort to get Charri and Eliza to bring Starie and Liesse to the party; what were two more children among two dozen? Starie and Mina had gotten on quickly, well on their way to fast friends by the time Starie had made their innocuous lobster man comment and Adrian had realized that he needed to get out of the sun.

“This was much easier to manage than the galas,” he said after a thoughtful minute.

“Naturally,” Anna said, and there was wry amusement in her face when she glanced up at him as she switched legs. “You _wanted_ to be at the summer start party. You _didn't_ want to be at the galas. They were just another facet of your work for Alterra, not something you did because they were _fun_.”

He turned the words over in his mind as she finished up, then turned and frowned at the mattress of their bed.

“Stay. I'll be right back with the builder.”

He nodded carefully, smiled as she kissed his forehead, and watched her slip out the door to go find where they'd left the building tools. He wanted to lay down, but he could stay upright for the time it would take her to remake their mattress into a water bed.

Maybe a minute later, there was a tap at the door and he lifted his head a little.

“Yes?”

Eliza poked her head in and smiled a little, uncertain but relieved. He smiled back, straightening carefully.

“Please, do come in,” he invited. “I'm rather sorry about this...”

“Ach, no, do not be,” she said, gently waving away the apology as she stepped into the room and leaned against the wall. “It is not your fault, this sunburn of yours. Part of the side effects of the kharaa, yes?”

“Unfortunately so,” and he sighed a little, ruefully. “It's going to be harder on Atlantis, but most of the work I do can be performed indoors. I managed several hours here, which is... impressive, I admit. I never did fully test how long I needed to be outside on Torrens... their summer season was only just picking up when we left.”

“Likely for the best,” she replied. “And here you seem to be surrounded by doctors!”

He snorted in amusement.

“Certainly not the intention, I'll admit. I just seem to keep finding them. Or being related to them, in the case of my mother.”

Eliza laughed softly, shaking her head a little.

“No doubt your wife has you well tended to,” she said, hands slipping into her pockets. “Starie wanted me to check on 'Mr. Lobster', and I am afraid you'll never lose that nickname.”

“Mr what now?” Anna asked as she returned.

Adrian mock-groaned, but smiled at her as Eliza chuckled a little.

“Mr Lobster,” Eliza repeated, making Anna giggle. “He _is_ quite red.”

“But not as bad as he could have been if Starie hadn't pointed it out in the first place,” Adrian replied.

“....dear, I'm pretty sure the only way it could get worse is if you'd passed out,” Anna said dryly, frowning a little at their bed. “That would have upset _everyone_.”

“Well, yes...”

“What are you doing?” Eliza asked.

“A mattress trade. Waterbeds are more cushioning and he's going to have trouble sleeping on anything more solid for a few days at least.”

Eliza nodded her understanding and Adrian smiled, despite the stiffness of his face. Perhaps it was because he was there too, but her guard seemed to be... down a little more than usual. Not necessarily _relaxed_ , but she wasn't that noticeable bit nervous that she had been this morning when they'd all met up at the lake.

It was nice; he hoped Anna would find friends in Charri and Eliza the way he wanted too.

“Charri and I will be in town for a few days, so if you are feeling up to it, we can get together again,” she offered after a moment. “Perhaps with less.... dramatic results.”

Adrian chuckled a little, nodding.

“That would be nice. Hopefully this will heal up relatively quickly since it's only surface burns...”

“Luckily,” Anna added, pulling the covers from the bed.

“Very luckily,” and Adrian mocked-pouted in her general direction, making Eliza snort a little, “since I know you and you won't want to cuddle me while I'm like this.”

Anna gave him a look that was as much love as exasperation and he grinned a little.

“You, my dear, are an idiot,” she said with some asperity as she deconstructed the mattress. “Once the numbing gel wears off, you're not going to want to _be_ touched.”

“She is right,” Eliza said with a small grin of her own. “Starie gets sunburns more often than the rest of us, and they _never_ want to be touched unless we're putting on my burn cream.”

“I am not a child,” Adrian said with mock-dignity. “I am quite certain I will want to snuggle up to my favorite person.”

Both women snorted at him, and Anna shook her head a little.

“You're clearly either loopy, or channeling Trevor. Come sit on this and tell me what you think.”

-

“Is it all right for you to be out of the room while he sleeps?”

Anna looked up and smiled a little tiredly at Sypha, who had asked the question too quietly for anyone else to hear.

“Lisa's there; she wanted some quiet for a little bit, since Mina's still being so excitable. Trevor's wrangling the kids still, I'm getting something to eat, and Lisa's getting twenty or so minutes of peace before she has to manage her daughter again.”

“And you're not... worried?”

“Oh, I'm worried, but I don't think it'll do any harm if Adrian wakes up and it's his mother, not me,” Anna replied, picking up several sandwiches and dubiously eyeing the local fruit. “And she's a much more experienced doctor than I am, so if any complications arise, she'll know how to handle them.”

Sypha laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, and Anna sighed a little, leaning against her girlfriend a bit wearily.

“It was a fun day up until this, huh?”

“It... was,” Anna nodded a little. “It still is, to be fair, just a little more stressful. Hence me taking my break where I can get it. Which is good because I'm hungry!”

That made Sypha laugh, as Anna had meant it to, and she smiled in response. Tired or not, it really had been a good day; she _liked_ Eliza and Charri, and their kids were good fun too. For a while little Liesse had followed Adrian around, handing onto the hem of his shorts until her sibling had pulled her into a game with Mina and Mina's friends from school, and he had been utterly delighted by it.

It did sting her pride a little to know that she hadn't been paying as close attention as she ought, but she hadn't wanted to smother Adrian. They had to learn how long he could stay out at some point, and no doubt it was as much a failure to reapply sunscreen as it was the DNA damage from the kharaa.

Sypha kissed her cheek fondly and wandered away, allowing Anna to sink into a kitchen chair and start eating. It was kind of fun, looking down the short hallway to the other room where Trevor was engaged in being pinned under the weight of three children he could have easily tossed. Mina was laughing sprawled across his shoulders, while Starie had elected to sprawl over Trevor's legs.

It made her wonder, watching him interact with them, what really _had_ happened to the Belmont family. Had Trevor had any siblings? He was quite convinced he was the last of his direct line, and no DNA registry had suggested otherwise...

A tug at her skirt made Anna blink and look down. Little Liesse, hair in afro puffs, raised her arms in wordless plea, and Anna smiled, bending down to pick the small child up and settle her on her lap.

“Playing too rough?” she asked as Liesse seemed inclined to snuggle down.

The non-verbal child nodded, sticking her thumb in her mouth and shaking her head when Anna offered her some fruit. Since she seemed inclined to just snuggle, Anna continued to eat, and breathed a small sigh of relief as Sypha ordered Trevor and the kids to; “Play _outside_ , if you're going to roll around like that!”

They banged cheerfully out of the house, followed by Sypha and Eliza; Charri paused for a moment in the hallway, head tipped.

“Do you mind watching Liesse?” they asked, head tipping curiously. “Liz and Sypha were talking about the nearest library, and I was thinking of going with them since Trevor has the other two in hand.”

“I don't mind,” Anna said honestly. “Does she nap?”

“Mmhm,” and they chuckled slightly. “From the looks of it, she'll probably fall asleep _on_ you. We won't be long... I think.”

Anna grinned a little.

“Sypha will be,” she said wryly. “She always is. It's okay. Take your time and be a tourist, Gresit is a nice town.”

“Do you want us to bring you something back? She said something about a bakery stop too.”

Anna thought for a moment, the shook her head.

“No, but thank you for asking, I appreciate it.”

Charri smiled warmly, then headed out the door.

Anna finished her impromptu meal, then looked down at Liesse, who was rubbing her eyes. It was certainly a sentiment she could get behind, really; she was tired too after all the running around and then worrying over Adrian.

“...let's go curl up on the couch,” she said after a moment. “I can read to you until you fall asleep.”

Liesse nodded, climbing down from Anna's lap, then took hold of her skirt and trailed her into the living room on wobbly feet. Vlad's presence startled Anna enough that she stopped short, blinking her surprise. He seemed to be wholly absorbed in something on his data pad, though he lifted his head to give her a brief, distracted, smile. She smiled shyly back, then moved over to the couch, helping Liesse onto it after she laid down, and picked up her data pad.

But when she tried to focus on the story, the words went... fuzzy. She rubbed her eyes a little, then tried again, but no, for whatever reason, she was just unable to read.

“....would it trouble you if I read?” Vlad asked.

Mellow or not, his sudden speech made her jump; one arm wrapped around Liesse protectively while she grabbed a pillow with her free hand, ready to attack... fortunately she caught herself before the pillow went flying, and Vlad's tolerantly amused smile made her blush.

“Read...?” Anna squeaked a little, embarrassed. “N-no, why would it..?”

“Well, rather, I meant read to you both, since you seem to be in need of some relaxation. My wife often tells me I have a very soothing tone for stories.”

“O-oh... If... If you want too?”

He smiled a little; Anna resettled on the couch, Liesse against her chest, as he stood up and went over to the bookshelf. While most of their books were digital, stored on plas-glass chips or data pads, Adrian had expressed enough of a fondness for paper books that they'd all agreed to get some. And somehow, the books had... multiplied. No one was really sure how.

Vlad perused the titles as Anna watched drowsily, slowly rubbing Liesse's back as he picked one and returned to the chair he'd been using.

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary...”

-

Adrian stared at the picture, then chuckled a little, carefully shaking his head on a neck that had gone stiff and sore.

“I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for the fact that Eliza and Charri have a hotel room, Mina would have managed to badger for a sleepover,” Sypha said with a giggle. “Vlad says Anna was out before he'd made it halfway thought the first poem, and Liesse didn't last much longer.”

“I'm more surprised he read them Edgar Allen Poe,” he admitted. “Not really naptime poetry.”

“I'm pretty sure it was more about the cadence and tone than the actual story,” Sypha replied, her expression turning gently perturbed. “Though... is it just me, or has Anna seemed a lot more tired to you lately?”

Adrian glanced away briefly, then sighed a little.

“I had noticed she's sleeping more deeply than usual,” he admitted after a moment. “And it takes her longer to wake up in the mornings... But it doesn't seem like _she_ notices, and I'm not sure it's a problem. It could be that she's finally relaxing, and that's letting her sleep better.”

“Hm... You're probably right,” Sypha sighed a little. “It just seems... weird. You know? She's been the world's lightest sleeper ever since I met her. Probably even _before_ I met her, but we'd have to ask Trevor, and he's _absolutely_ passed out after all the hard playing he did today.”

Adrian snorted in amusement, nodding his understanding.

“Is everyone gone, then?”

“Mmhm. Eliza and her family went back to the hotel, and your parents took Mina home after Johnathan called and said he'd be there in an hour. Mina said she might even _talk_ to Johnathan now, if he's nice again.”

Adrian chuckled, carefully accepting the juice pack that Sypha passed him.

“So it's just the two of us awake?”

“No, Anna's up, but I think she's feeling a little solitary. After all the noise and fuss, I suppose I cant blame her... but did you want me to get her anyways?”

“No,” and he shook his head carefully. “Let her have her space to decompress. You have to admit, between taking care of me, time spent with you and Trevor, and the hours she and Mother agreed on, she doesn't get a lot of time to herself.”

“All right. If you're sure.”

Adrian nodded, and after a moment Sypha snorted in amusement.

“What?”

“Just... if you weren't sunburned and lathered up in aloe and numbing cream, this would be a prime opportunity....”

He blinked, then half-smiled wryly.

“It rather would, wouldn't it?”

“Anna would kill me if we tried anything and you got hurt, though.”

“No, no, she's not the murdering sort,” Adrian said with a smirk. “She might maim you horribly, but she likes you too much to commit murder.”

But it wasn't just the pain of the burn holding him back from what was admittedly a somewhat enticing idea; this was his and Anna's bed. It felt... wrong to invite someone else into that, even if that someone was Sypha.

“That said, it might be more prudent to make use of Trevor's oversized mattress for that... if that's all right,” he added when Sypha blinked at him in surprise.

“I mean, I'm not going to say no, but...?”

Adrian was quiet for a moment, trying to work out the reasoning.

“I think it would hurt Anna if I brought someone into this bed,” he said finally. “I suspect she regards it as my bed more than hers, and she would argue that I can bring in anyone I want, but...”

Sypha smiled warmly and nodded.

“You want her to have a safe space that's just you and her. So that she doesn't look and wonder if she still has a place.”

He nodded, and sighed a little in relief at Sypha's understanding.

“It's as much her bed as mine, and I don't want to take that away from her. Besides,” and he grinned a little, “if we throw Trevor into the mix, I expect there's a lot more wrestling involved, and the larger mattress will prevent people from falling off the side.”

Sypha laughed.

“You would _think_ that, but he has fallen off! It's pretty funny when he does~”

“I'll take your word for it at he moment. Perhaps as summer progresses, I'll be able to see it for myself.”

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

Anna looks utterly adorable in the picture my father took with her and Liesse napping. Someday, that will be our child, I think. But not until we've settled Atlantis properly, and decided where home is.

I think home will be in the crater, honestly. Either among the creepvines, or beneath the floating island. I like either of those ideas, and I know she was quite attached to that base in the middle of the island. Considering she built it more or less on her own, I can't be surprised about that.

Anna thinks I'll be a week in healing, which is... not optimal, but could be worse. I've been told cool baths, tepid showers, and to keep applying the cream where it hurts the most. The waterbed does help, and I think I'll be doing most of my work from here for a couple days at least.

Johnathan's visit is just for a week; he leaves the same day Mina does for her sleep-away camp. Part of me thinks I should sit him down and try to talk... and the rest of me balks at the idea.

I can't put it off forever...


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW; abandonment issues

Seven

“Okay, sir, what seems to be the problem...?”

Anna looked at the man in the exam room who was grinning at her with an air of 'I am so clever', and mentally steeled herself for something inappropriate. It was the fifth time she'd seen Alton Daniels in the past two weeks, and it was _always_ something inappropriate.

“Well, doc, I seem to have a terrible case of blue balls going on,” he said with a small leer.

She sighed.

“Mr. Daniels, that's not a medical issue. You reported to the nurse that you were feeling short of breath after small walks and a tightness in your chest. Despite the scanner suggesting you are perfectly healthy, you were insistent that a doctor see you. If you do not have a pertinent medical issues, I need you to leave so that other people who _do_ have troubles, can be shown in.”

His face darkened a little.

“You don't need to be such a bitch about it,” he complained. “It's a thing! I looked it up! The least you could do it look at it for me!”

“Sir, you are in a medical clinic, not a shop that caters to sexual needs,” and she put more ice into her tone, even as she wished to be somewhere, _anywhere_ , else. “If you are feeling sexually frustrated, there are other places you can go that will be happy to take your credits and provide you adequate care.”

“Oh, so you know of one?~ Sure you're not just... moonlighting?~”

“ _Sir_. You seem to have mistaken the fact that I am quiet and calm to mean that I am someone you can fluster or bully into something that would get me fired. You cannot, and if you persist in trying, I will see that you are not allowed to return to the clinic.”

Alton's face darkened a little, going red with anger, and Anna hit a button on the data pad that would summon security. It was good she had decided to stay near the door when she'd realized who it was, that would make escape much easier.

“You're a fucking bitch,” he snapped, getting up from the chair. “Teasing a man like this, when you know all he needs is-”

“Sir, what you need is not a service a _medical clinic_ provides. I am a _doctor_ , not a sex worker, and quite frankly, even if I were, I would refuse you service, since you do not seem to understand the meaning of the word 'no',” she interrupted, letting one hand slide back towards the handle of the door. “As I have stated before, I am in an _exclusive_ relationship, and not looking for anything outside of that.”

“Hey, no one has to know. We could do it real quick-like~”

Anna felt the cool metal handle under her fingers and pushed down.

“Since you seem to be in good medical health according to both the scanner and the nurse's preliminary examination, and you refuse to behave appropriately, I'm ending the examination. Someone else will be here shortly to escort you out.”

Further anger filled his face, but before he could reach out for her, Anna had slipped out into the hall. She moved without looking, which meant she _almost_ ran into the security she'd summoned. Alex caught her before she could trip, and made sure she was steady before letting go.

“Everything okay there, Dr. Torres?”

“....no harm,” Anna replied, smiling weakly. “Mr. Daniels needs an escort out, if you please. Do you know where Dr. Tepes is?”

“Last I checked, she was takin a call in her office.”

“Thanks...”

Alex grinned and stationed herself outside the door, arms folded loosely across her chest. Despite the fact that it was clearly a feminine day for the security guard, Anna knew Alton would hesitate to try and hit _her_. Not only was Alex well in advance of six feet, she was muscular in the way that suggested several styles of self defense.

Given that Alex often partnered with Trevor when he went to the local gym to spar, Anna was quite familiar with how well she could defend herself. And since she was, she immediately went to Lisa's office to wait and see if she could discuss banning Alton from the clinic.

-

Adrian looked at his wife in moderate concern where she lay sprawled over the couch, and had been for the past ten minutes.

“Are you _sure_ you're all right?” he asked again, coming to sit on the floor near her. “Do you want to cancel tonight's dinner?”

“I'm fine,” she mumbled, waving a hand slightly. “Just... give me a few minutes. It was a difficult day...”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“....not really,” and she sighed a little, though she turned her head to face him.

It was a very subtle invite for comfort, and he had gotten much better at reading her cues in the past few weeks. Nothing loathe, he leaned in to give her a quick kiss, then settled himself against the couch so that she could wrap an arm around him and snuggle without actually moving.

“All right. If you're certain your up for dinner, we can still go, though I'm sure Mother won't mind if we have to cancel. She knows you put in a lot of work, even for part-time hours...”

He felt Anna's tiny, tired smile, and nuzzled at her gently.

“I had to ask her to ban someone from the clinic today. I feel bad about it, but...”

Adrian felt a fizz of temper, and clamped down hard on it; she was worn thin, and didn't need to deal with his anger about the situation, no matter that he was on her side about the whole thing.

“Sir blue balls again?” he asked, keeping his tone even.

“Mm... Alex escorted him out, and Lisa agreed that he's not to be allowed back when all he seems to want is to harass the female-presenting staff.”

“Good,” and he felt her startle, wincing a little at his own vehemence. “Ah... sorry...”

Her arms tightened around him a little, then she slid from the couch into his lap, and snuggled against him. He curled his arms around her and lightly ran a hand up her back, feeling the subtlest easing of tension.

“How did he get into the exam room this time?” he asked.

“Shortness of breath after short walks and a pain in his chest,” she replied wearily. “The nurse scanned him, and he said the patient was perfectly healthy, but....”

“But the man will badger and insist that the nurse and the scanner are wrong and he needs to see a doctor,” Adrian finished for her, kissing the top of her head gently.

“Mmhm... Lisa said she'd send messages to the other walk-in clinics to make sure they didn't suffer his... inclination to be a nuisance. Hopefully, that will be enough.”

Adrian hugged her firmly, and continued to rub her back, feeling her relax little by little.

“....I'd rather like to punch this person.”

“Don't,” but he felt her smile. “You'll give Trevor ideas.”

“And this is... a bad thing?”

“Adrian...”

He chuckled a little and kissed the top of her head again.

“Apologies. I just... I dislike the idea that someone else finds it appropriate to cause my darling wife mental distress. It makes me want to correct it, and I know Trevor most certainly agrees.”

“That's because you're both terribly protective of the people in your lives,” and she lifted her head to gently kiss his cheek. “It's fine. It's been dealt with, and no one got hurt except maybe the patient that Alex had to escort out.”

Adrian made a noncommittal noise, and snuggled her more firmly; it was a pity she couldn't tell him more about this person. He was absolutely not adverse to taking Trevor and explaining to the man that harassing women was unacceptable...

But after a moment he sighed and let it go. Dinner was bound to be even more fraught, as it was a full family dinner at his parents home. Well, minus Mina, who had left for her sleep-away camp the week before. Which meant no sibling buffer between himself and Johnathan, and he wasn't exactly certain that the night was going to go _well_.

“....you're certain you don't want to cancel?”

Anna's hand came up, and gently cupped his cheek.

“You can't avoid him forever, Adrian,” she said gently. “He's family too, and he's sitting on a morass of complicated feelings that are hard to untangle. You know that's why he lashes out at you.”

“...I know,” and he sighed again, nuzzling her palm. “I just... don't know how to address it. I don't want to make it worse between us.”

“It's only going to get worse the longer you put it off,” she pointed out. “You don't have to say anything tonight, but I really do think you should sit down with your brother at some point and just... argue it out. It might even be cathartic.”

“You think I have the mental stability to do that?” he asked curiously.

“I think we won't know until you try, but also that _because_ we don't know, you should probably have someone with you to make sure it doesn't go too far. One of your parents, at the least.”

Adrian smiled faintly, tipping his hand to kiss her palm and make her squeak.

“H-hey!”

He grinned down at her and kissed the tip of her nose, making he squeak again and push at him gently. Undeterred, he kissed her cheeks and the corners of her mouth, then nuzzled gently at her neck, making her giggle.

“Well, I will certainly take the advice under consideration, though I doubt we will ever get back to the relationship we used to have.”

“...a civil relationship is better than a resentful one,” Anna replied, nuzzling at him delicately. “And it will probably take more than one conversation to work through all the baggage. But... well, I do think it'll be worth the effort.”

He sighed a little, then kissed her lightly on the mouth.

“You are probably correct. I am just.... a bit of a coward. It was one thing to fight as children, because that's rather what children _do_. But... we are not children now.”

“No, but you are siblings, and siblings will fight sometimes. _Everyone_ fights sometimes, even those in the most loving, committed relationships. What resolves it is how much work you put into the relationship, both during and after,” Anna replied sensibly. Then added dryly, “And yes, that came from your mother.”

Adrian chuckled, and squeezed her gently.

“Of course it did. Mother is eminently sensible, and has had to put up with my father for thirty years. Not to mention Johnathan, Mina, and their friends. She's seen more fights and resolutions over the years than I have, that much is certain.”

Anna nuzzled at him gently, then shifted slightly. Reluctantly he let his grip loosen so that she could get up.

“....come shower with me?”

He blinked, then smiled a little, getting to his feet, more so that he could cuddle her again than anything else.

“Are we only showering?~”

She flushed a little, then shook her head lightly, and he smiled, kissing her delicately. She really was too cute when she got like this...

-

“Wait, what do you mean I'm going to be going with them?” Johnathan demanded, startled. “When was this decided, and don't I get to have a say?!”

Anna looked around the table; the only ones who looked as surprised as she felt were the other two women. Adrian looked tiredly resigned and there was something... _smug_ about Trevor's expression. Like he'd done something he wanted to be proud of, but not so much that he was crowing about it.

“I did ask you, several weeks ago, if you wanted to be part of an outreach program,” Vlad said mildly. “This is another facet of learning the business, son.”

“But I'm not a scientist!”

“No, you're an economics major, and that's why I need you to go. You're going to be my eyes, the... 'corporate oversight' as it were.”

“Vlad, I'm not sure that this qualifies as an _outreach_ program,” Lisa said, a little forbodingly.

“It's going to be _two to five years_ away!” Johnathan protested vehemently. “That's _definitely_ not an outreach program!”

“Yes,” and Vlad's reply was unruffled calm. “And you'll be working on behalf of Tepes Industries to make sure that Atlantis is a viable planet for us to spend the resources on.”

Something in the older man's tone silenced Johnathan, turning the rebellious anger into somewhat sullen consideration.

“...I'd have thought you'd _know_ that already, from all of _their_ information.”

“We know what they did; the crater where they landed and lived is a font of natural resources, and some alien technology that we have little knowledge of,” Vlad said. “But there is an entire planet, son, and while I certainly don't intend to turn it into a science project, tourist destination, or strip mine it, a return of investment is something we cannot ignore. Part of the agreement for the phase gate placements along the route was some manner of assurance that we would be able to pay for them, and this is the most sensible manner.”

“Okay, but _they're_ going,” Johnathan continued doggedly. “Why can't one of _them_ be your eyes?”

“Because we're not employees,” Trevor said dryly. “We're not getting _paid_ to go, we're _paying_.”

“We're what?” Anna squeaked.

“....not quite like that, but...” Adrian sighed slightly. “I own the planet, but I do not want to be part of a planetary government. I seconded Father for that role, and he has the right to appoint whomever he would like to whatever role in that government he sees fit. Since I elected to have Father be in charge, we are under the charter of the Apollo trans-gov, and thus, must report potential profits to them to ensure that we continue to get the support and supplies we will need. I will be living on the planet as a citizen, part of the workforce; Johnathan will have a role considerably higher than that. Along with whomever else Father appoints, he will be heading the proto-government.”

There was more to it than that, there was some sort of _point_ that was being made by sending Johnathan to Atlantis, but what it was, Anna couldn't even begin to guess.

Anna, Lisa, and Sypha shared a glance of mutual resignation; it was clear by the looks of the three older men that Johnathan was not really being given a _choice_ in the matter. They were not going to be denied in this... whatever it was.

“At least one phase gate will be completed before ou reach Atlantis, and there are two more planned to cut months from the trip, the final one being in that arm of the Ariadne galaxy itself,” Vlad said. “They sent the first load out last month, and our own first ship will be leaving two weeks after Trevor and Sypha's wedding ceremony,” and he nodded at them genially. “Which they have agreed to be on, so you will not be _entirely_ without family.”

Johnathan's expression suggested that this wasn't much comfort. Given Trevor's smirk, Anna had to agree that it probably _wasn't_. Nor did she appreciate the reminder that there was two and a half months left until it would just be her and Adrian in that house...

“But... _Astra_...”

“You may ask if they wish to come along. With their background in astral navigation, not to mention their other degrees, I think they would be a good fit for a barely charted system exploration.”

“Do I _get_ to say no, if I decide I don't want to do this?” Johnathan asked.

“It is a requirement that someone within the higher echelons of Tepes Industries be on the ship,” Vlad said gently. “I chose you, as you are my son, and will inherit the company once I retire. Running a planetary government is a bit like throwing you into the deep end, I admit, but I think you will be more than able to rise to the occasion.”

Johnathan still looked fairly unconvinced, but hearing his father say that he would inherit the company soothed him, and he shot a look at Adrian that mingled smug triumph and mild resentment. Adrian, Anna noticed, only sat back in his chair, still looking mildly resigned.

“Go back to us _paying_ to go,” Sypha said when it was clear that Johnathan wasn't going to say anything else. “Explain that more?”

“Ah. Well... none of us are directly employed by Tepes Industries, not even Trevor,” Adrian said after a moment. “Or at least, he won't be when we leave.”

“I mean, I'll help around the ship,” Trevor said a little dryly. “But I'm not taking an official spot in the cargo crew.”

“The only one of you who will be technically employed is Anna,” Vlad pointed out genially. “And her only because of Adrian's medical constraints.”

Anna flushed a little and looked down; she hadn't actually thought about that...

“But that's personal, not through Tepes Industries. Which means we four are the first _civilians_ , there to cement the colonization side of the planet claim,” Adrian continued, and even if he didn't look at her directly, his hand slipped under hers, and squeezed gently, reassuringly. “Everyone else will likely be scientists and researchers of all stripes. _Most_ of them will probably be single, since we won't be able to open further colonization efforts until we know if the Sea Emperor's children have fully eradicated the kharaa, and orbital observatories aren't necessarily known for their grand amounts of leg room.”

Sypha snorted a little.

“So we're not being paid to go, we're just going, and any credits we spend along the way, those won't get replenished,” she summed up. “What if we _did_ work for TI?”

“I certainly won't turn you down,” Vlad said with a dry smile. “You've been to the planet before, and your own xenbi skills will be highly sought. As will Anna's. That choice I leave to you, however.”

“....please excuse me, I need to go and.... discuss this with Astra,” Johnathan said curtly, standing up.

Vlad nodded lightly, but Johnathan was already stalking away from the table.

“....that could have gone worse,” Trevor said after a moment.

“Just _what_ are you up to,” Sypha demanded, annoyance flashing across her face.

“What, me?” Trevor blinked, then scowled a little.

“ _All_ of you,” Lisa said, with a small frown of her own. “An outreach program, Vlad?”

“It was the same question I asked Adrian when we were trying to figure out where to employ him for his training,” Vlad replied, though he looked a little sheepish now under his wife's stare. “Since we'd rather not have another repeat with the Alterra trans-gov, this seemed a viable workaround. He gets experience in coordinating multiple groups of people, and leaning how to manage more than a single department.”

Lisa did not look convinced, and Trevor's defensive expression made Anna suspicious.

“Trevor. What _are_ you up to? Because you can't tell me you don't have _some_ hand in this,” Anna continued before he could protest again. “You looked entirely too smug about the idea of Johnathan getting on that ship with you and Sypha.”

“....it might have been my idea, but that doesn't mean I have something _planned_ ,” he retorted, huffing at her.

“....yes it does. You only _play_ the blockhead because it means people don't expect things of you.”

“She has a point,” Sypha said, raising an eyebrow.

Trevor scowled slightly.

“....he wants to take Johnathan down to the deeps base,” Adrian said quietly. “He thinks that perhaps if he _sees_ where I spent ten years of my life, he'll have a better understanding of why things have turned out this way.”

Anna blinked. Looked at Adrian. Looked at Trevor.

“What? It beats punching him!”

Sypha's exasperated sigh spoke for all of them. Anna just quietly pushed away from the table, and left the room.

-

“Well, we're all in trouble,” Trevor said a bit glumly. “Do you think we should just camp out on the couches tonight?”

“That may be the only recourse we have for a few _days_ ,” Adrian replied with a small sigh. “At least we can convert the couch into a bed, though you're not to take up more than half of it.”

“I promise nothing.”

Adrian rolled his eyes tolerantly, and glanced out the window of his father's ground floor study. Anna was somewhere in that sprawling back yard, and he rather wished she'd yelled at him the way Sypha had. But it wasn't in Anna to yell, even at her most upset.... and he had to admit that the single, disappointed look had hit much harder.

“It could be much worse,” Vlad pointed out with a small amount of tired humor. “You didn't mention the plan to leave him alone down there for a week.”

“Yeaaaaah, no, let's _not_ mention that in a room with two doctors who will probably then attempt to chew on my liver,” Trevor said with a grimace. “A week isn't half as bad as it could be, I just want him to get the _point_.”

“There's much more than a point to get,” Adrian said quietly, folding his hands loosely on his knees. “Did he ever go to a grief counselor, Father?”

“...no,” and Vlad sighed a little. “At first it was because he swore you weren't dead, and he wasn't going to grieve someone who was still alive. Even after he started to think that maybe you weren't coming back, he wouldn't go speak to someone. We brought it up again after we got your messages, after the broadcast of the Alterra press conference, and a third time after your mother came home, but he's refused to talk about what he's feeling with anyone.”

“So he's sitting on a morass of bullshit because he's... what, trying to prove he's tough?”

“Feelings aren't logical, Trevor,” Adrian said dryly, raising an eyebrow briefly. “It's a morass of _something_ , but until he actually speaks up, I don't know how to even _begin_ to resolve it.”

“I still say you could punch him.”

“Yes, well, punching is your response to a number of things, and in this case, I don't think it would be terribly helpful. Brawling won't clear the air, and I don't actually want to _hurt_ him. I just want to...”

Adrian sighed a little, leaning back in the chair tiredly. He didn't really know _what_ he wanted when it came to his younger brother. Repairing the relationship was starting to look more and more like a futile effort, but he couldn't take the resentment from the young man Johnathan had become.

“Perhaps that's something best explored another day,” Vlad said gently. “Let him calm down from this.... event, and perhaps he'll be a bit more receptive in the long run.”

“....I hope you're right, Father...”

-

Anna found the fountain mostly by accident, but by the time she did, she was more than ready to take a break from the rambling walk she'd needed to help clear her head and sort out her thoughts on the matter.

Admittedly Vlad's reasoning was _sound_ , but they really shouldn't have just dropped it on Johnathan like that. Nor the rest of them. It _should_ have been a family discussion, and she was not best pleased with Trevor's desire to get some petty revenge. Taking Johnathan down to Adrian's deep base... there was decidedly more to it than _that_ , but she was fairly certain if Trevor told her, she would have to hit him with something.

She sat on the stone rim without looking to see if anyone else was nearby and let out a tired sigh, tipping her head up a little to feel the cool spray on her skin. If she was being honest, a small part of her did approve of the idea; maybe if Johnathan saw and felt for himself to conditions Adrian had lived in for ten years, it would drive home that he really wasn't as okay as he was _acting_.

It was almost a shame Adrian was so _good_ at acting fine...

A scuffing sound made her tense and turn; the tension only got worse when she realized Johnathan was standing there.

“.....you're probably pleased with yourself, aren't you?” he growled a little, stalking over to the fountain.

“No?” Anna watched him warily; she wasn't in a place where she could throw him out now, which meant she was going to have to negotiate this particular conversation with care. “I was just as surprised by the announcement as you were, Johnathan.”

“Sure you were,” he snorted a little, glaring down at the water. “So surprised you couldn't even speak.”

“...that's not an uncommon occurrence...” Anna muttered, feeling a small bit resentful herself. “They have a habit of running roughshod over things.”

He snorted again, then surprised her by dropping to sit on the edge of the fountain. Not quite _with_ her, not close enough to touch, but it was clear he wanted to talk to _someone_. Anna wasn't sure if she was lucky or if he was coming to her specifically because he knew she wouldn't snap back like Sypha would.

“Did you... talk to your partner?”

“I sent them a message that we need to talk and soon,” he grumbled a little. “But I know them. Astra's going to be all over this like whitewings and bones. They _want_ to travel! I would have liked a bit more damn consideration! My own _father_ , colluding like this! A learning experience, that's what he'll tell me it is, but really, it's just an excuse to get me off-planet so that he can do things behind my back involving Adrian-”

“Why do you do this?” Anna interrupted, a bit desperately. “You're blaming _everything_ on Adrian, when all he's trying to do is go back to a planet that almost _killed_ him.”

“Almost killed _him?_ ” Johnathan shot to his feet and turned to glare at her. “Oh yes, it almost killed him so badly that he was able to work for nine months for Alterra, and then ask our father to fund a few ships to get him back so that he doesn't have to be around us any more! Almost killed him so badly that he _replaced us_ with you three, and never even looked back to see if we were waiting for any word of him, even after ten years when even the most generous person would have had to admit that he was probably gone forever!”

“He didn't replace anyone,” Anna replied, keeping her voice calm and quiet. “ Have you ever gotten lost, Johnathan? So lost that you couldn't find your way back and needed someone else to find you?”

Her calm tone seemed to penetrate, and his temper eased a little into suspicious confusion.

“When you're lost like that, alone and wondering if you're ever going to be found, you latch on to the first friendly face you find,” she continued. “Adrian was so far gone after a decade of dark and silence that he spent several weeks thinking we weren't real. That we were very vivid hallucinations, born of a desperate need to see and speak to people again. And even after he realized we were just as real as he was, he was still desperate for anything that would be a visual representation of his family. Of _you_ , and Lisa, and Vlad.”

“Then why the hell did he return to _Alterra_?! He should have come here, come to _us!_ ”

Anna's heart went out to him; this wasn't a resentful young man, this was the little boy who'd lost his brother and never really dealt with the feelings that produced. The little boy who thought he'd been abandoned by the person he adored more than anyone else...

“He did what _we_ wanted because we thought it was the best course of action,” she said softly, pushing back against tears and pity both; neither of those would help Johnathan right now. “We.... _I_ mistakenly assumed that he had the mental fortitude to return to the life he'd lived before the Degasi was shot down. I was wrong, and Adrian paid for it. He played the part we needed him to play because _we_ needed him to play it, and he did it so well that I never even suspected he was really struggling until he just... collapsed like that.”

Johnathan was quiet for a long minute.

“...he always was a good actor,” he said grudgingly. “Even when we were kids... Only Mother could really call him out on his bullshit...”

“Some people are like that,” she said gently. “And after a decade of solitude, what's the point of saying something when you're not feeling well? You're so used to no one listening, no one _being there_ when you need them, that you just... shut down anything that's not being helpful.”

He stared at her hard, then looked at the fountain.

“He does want to talk to you,” she said after the silence had become almost too thick with tension. “But after this long, he doesn't know the person you've become. He doesn't know how to speak to you so that you won't hate him for what he couldn't control. And you're not helping when you lash out at him because you think he's come back just for the things you have.”

“Oh, so it's all my fault, is it? My fault that I had to grow up and step into his place instead of, of-”

“It's not _anyone's_ fault,” Anna said, so firmly that Johnathan actually seemed surprised. “It's just _what happened_. We all get damaged, and have to pick up pieces when bad things happen. That's why he goes to therapy, and why he's trying to spend time here with you and your parents. He's _trying_ to fix what he can. You can either help that or hinder it as you please, but _I_ _know_ he would like to be your friend again.”

“Oh, you know, is it? He talks to you, and shares everything?!”

“...I'm his wife,” she replied, refusing to rise to the bait. “But no. He doesn't tell me everything. Some things he'll only tell to Trevor, or Sypha, or your parents. Or the few friends he's managed to make. And that's okay, because I don't tell him everything I feel either. Different people provide different emotional needs in his life, and you're one of those people. You're his younger brother, and despite your attitude about the situation, he still loves you and wants a relationship with you.”

“....so it _is_ my fault.”

Anna sighed and rubbed her face tiredly.

“If you want it to be your fault so badly, fine, _yes_. It is your fault because you're acting like a child instead of an adult who can see with his own eyes that Adrian's easily exhausted by the emotional expectations of others,” she said with some asperity. Again it seemed to surprise him, and she wasn't above taking advantage of that. “I know that emotions and logic often don't go hand in hand, but also, you're certainly old enough to think beyond the little boy who lost his brother and got back a stranger in return to realize that if he'd had a choice, Adrian _never_ would have left you behind. He doesn't _abandon_ people.... He might drop them if they're toxic, might walk away when he can no longer cope, but he will never _ghost_ someone. You will know specifically why and when he decides to leave, and he'll probably have an itemized _list_ to further hammer the point home.”

Paradoxically, that got a snort of something that was almost humor, and for a moment Johnathan's expression lightened a little.

“...he did that once when we were kids.... One of the guys in his class had been following him around like a puppy for weeks,” he said, and there was a distinct _lack_ of hostility that made Anna wonder if she'd finally gotten through to him. “Adrian put up with it for a bit, but made it very clear he didn't see the guy the same way. When it came to a head, Adrian had a long list of reasons why he wasn't going to date him, and also why he wanted him to get lost. It was the _stupidest_ thing in the world, but it... worked...”

Slowly, Johnathan sat on the fountain again, loosely clasping his hands on his lap. Anna watched him for a moment, then turned her attention to the ripples in the water, letting him have the peace of his own thoughts.

“I just wanted him to.... to come back,” he said finally, quietly. “Mother was so ecstatic when she got his message, she didn't know what to do. Even Father... you could have knocked him over with a feather when he heard that Adrian was still alive and had returned to Alterra space. And... watching him speak at the press conference, he looked so put together, like... like nothing had changed.”

She waited quietly, glancing at him, then slowly scooted closer as he bowed his head a little more.

“But he had changed, _everything_ had changed.... He used to be so much more energetic, more outspoken about the duties a corporation, a _trans-gov_ had to its people. He... do you know he once led a protest against his own company on Alterra because they were short-changing the warehouse workers? No one could really believe it, but there he was, talking to reporters and showing them his own financial records for where his own pay was going.”

“....that sounds like Adrian,” she said with a small smile. “I could see that happening. He was always complaining that no one in the factories seemed to care about the necessary safety regulations, and he was always having to get on top of them to make them comply. It drove him up the wall some days...”

“Why did he have to come back like... like this?”

“Like what?”

“.... _different_.”

Anna rested her hand on Johnathan's shoulder, and squeezed sympathetically.

“Everyone changes,” she said gently. “It's harder when you don't get to see the changes, only the aftermath of them. It may be that he would have ended up like this anyways as the years passed, but it would have been different because you would have seen it, and known the factors. You could have changed the changes. Instead, you have to try and pick up the pieces of a shattered ideal, and put them together in a new way, one that fits the reality of the situation.”

“...do you really think.... he wants to talk to me?”

And there was the little boy again, still reeling with the pain of abandonment, a pain she knew all to well.

“I think it will be messy,” she said gently. “I think it will be hard. You may never get back to the relationship you had as children, and you may struggle to understand the choices he makes. But I also think it's worth trying.”

To her surprise, Johnathan leaned on her.

“....I guess if he had to come back with a wife, you're not so bad,” he muttered. “But your cousin's still a dick.”

Anna snorted, looking up at the tiny, uncertain smile on Johnathan's face.

“You have _no_ idea.”

-

Personal log, Anna Torres

I'm sure I've had longer days. Quite sure. But this one feels like it's been more exhausting than most. Johnathan needs to talk to a licensed therapist, but I guess I was the next best thing, being a sister-in-law.

I feel for him. I know what it's like to be abandoned, or... well, to feel like you've been abandoned by someone you adored. I had to work through that myself, when Trevor left home and never looked back. I think the main difference between my pain from that and Johnathan's is that Trevor's leaving was deliberate. Adrian had no choice in the matter.

But the feeling of being left behind, forgotten and alone... it's similar enough.

They're still going to have to work it out themselves at some point. It'll probably be messy and convoluted, because there's so much to unpack. But... maybe I've finally given Johnathan the impetus to try reaching out instead of lashing out.

I hope I did something good...


	8. Chapter 8

Eight

Anna leaned on the rail of the hiking trail, looking out over the view that was admittedly breath-taking, then rubbed her face tiredly and rested her head on the wood. It was her day off, _all_ of their day off, she was supposed to be back at home doing whatever it was they'd wanted to do today. Instead she'd left not long after breakfast and made her way to the hiking trails, unable to take the well-meant concerned looks and subtle questions that inevitably centered on trying to figure out if she was feeling well or not.

It wasn't a question she really had an answer to, if she was being honest. She just felt... _tired_. But not the sort of tired that sleep could fix. She'd already tried that, going to bed earlier, or finding an hour or two to nap during the day... whatever she tried, nothing seemed to diminish the feeling of being worn and weary.

But she did her best to not let it show; Adrian's work on categorizing his notes made him vulnerable, and he needed her to be there for him. He needed to learn on her, and have her remind him that he was not lost in the darkness, that everything he had now was _very_ real. True, both Trevor and Sypha could—and had—do the same thing, but he had let it slip that it was easier with her. Which was as much flattering as it was just another small bit of strain.

Keeping it to herself was just sensible, she decided again. No one needed to fuss or fret, she was _fine_ , just... tired. And really, that wasn't so bad. She was more or less _always_ tired, and she had managed to keep up this long.

She lifted her head at the sound of footsteps, though she kept her gaze focused outward; the hiking trails were popular on nice days, and this day was particularly good. Not a cloud in the sky, and just a thin breeze to keep the air from becoming too hot. As long as she pretended to be focused on the view, hopefully no one would stop to talk to her.

Anna blinked. Frowned a little and rubbed at her eyes tiredly. Strange. The scenery had grown... wobbly? She pushed back from the railing carefully, mentally cataloging everything she'd done that day which might cause this sort of reaction, caught the heel of her foot with toes of her other foot, and went down in a heap, out cold before she hit the ground.

-

“Look, if I knew what was bothering Anna, I'd have figured it out and fixed it already,” Trevor complained mildly, jabbing his fork into the vegetables that Sypha had insisted he have with his dinner. “It's not like I _enjoy_ watching her act like this...”

“No one said you did, Trevor,” Adrian replied tiredly. “No one here _does_. It was just a question.”

“And one that might not even have an answer,” Sypha added, resting a hand gently on Trevor's shoulder. “She hasn't really had time to herself for a _while_ now, and last week was pretty hard on her.”

Adrian acknowledged the small spurt of jealousy as he remembered how Anna had come back to his parents' house, actually _talking_ with Johnathan about something innocuous. He couldn't even really say which one of them he'd been jealous of, really... And Anna had been very closed-mouth about what they'd spoken of that had brought about that state of cautious friendship.

He wanted to know, not just because he worried about her—what Johnathan could have said away from the eyes and ears of the house made him fret—but because he wanted to reach that same state of being with his brother. He just wasn't sure _how_.

Naturally, they'd only seen the aftermath... a somewhat civil, if slightly strained conversation that had ended more or less the moment they entered the house. Anna had then spent the following days somewhat... _dragging_. As though the conversation with Johnathan had stretched her ability to hide too thin, allowing the truth of her fatigue to show through.

“Not just the past week,” Adrian said quietly, feeling the guilt easily eclipse the jealousy. “I don't think she'd really taken time for herself since we landed on Torrens.”

“....yeah, but that's kind of just _Anna_ ,” Trevor said after a moment. “She does things for fun, sure, but telling her this is something to de-stress, to _relax_ , and she looks at you like you've lost your mind. I don't think she's ever _not_ been stressed on some level.”

“Isn't that why she has the nanites programmed though?” Sypha pointed out.

“Generalized anxiety isn't quite the same as stress,” Adrian said with a small smile. “One of Mother's patients explained anxiety as having someone constantly screaming in the back of your head. Nothing legible, nothing _sensible_ , just... screaming. Stress can land on _top_ of anxiety, which is why she had hers reprogrammed at least twice while we were on Torrens, to help alleviate that. But it's....”

“It's a band-aid,” Trevor said bluntly, a small scowl on his face. “I told her that before we left that place that it wasn't going to hold forever, not if she kept acting the way she was. Problem is, she doesn't know any other way to _be_...”

Sypha made a small, frustrated sound, then leaned on Trevor.

“I probably didn't help when I asked her to do things for the wedding,” she murmured.

“No, she volunteered to do that, probably not thinking about herself at all, which... again, that's just _Anna_ ,” Trevor said, wrapping an arm around Sypha and hugging her firmly. “She likes to help.”

“She wants _us_ to be fine and not worry about her, but she tends to forget that she's family so _of course_ we're going to worry about her,” Sypha sighed a little.

“To be fair? We're not exactly _used_ to your kind of family,” Trevor said a bit dryly. “Like... okay, I got sick with something local, something that kids from that planet are immunized against at birth, cause it's a pretty nasty thing. No one thought to take me to a doctor or even an auto-doc, and when it got _really_ bad, Anna's folks, the aunt and uncle in charge of taking care of me, decided that if I was gonna die, well, that was just too bad.”

Sypha and Adrian exchanged looks of horror and anger at the idea, but Trevor only shrugged.

“So Anna, barely ten years old, stops going to school. For like... two and a half, three months. It got really fuzzy for a while. Instead, she took care of me. Made sure I was hydrated, helped me make it to the bathroom, changed things when I couldn't. Shit, she was practically a doctor back then for all of us. No idea how she got her schoolwork done, so that she could keep up... Anyways, I finally get better, start going back to that shitty school myself, and about a week after, she falls on her ass in a dead faint in the middle of the hall.”

“Did she catch your illness?” Sypha asked.

“Nah. She was inoculated when she was tiny, that's why she was able to take care of me. Though yeah, I know _now_ she would've done it even if she wasn't immune, back then I figured it was just cause she felt sorry for me.” Trevor smiled crookedly, a little sadly. “So Anna falls on her ass in school, and after I get her back from the nurse, her mom says she's not taking care of Anna either. She got herself sick, she can get herself healthy again. I think that was the first time I _really_ wanted to punch the adults in the house more than the kids....”

“But she did... get better...”

“Yeah, but no one else _helped_ , Sy. That's the point I'm trying to make. She lived her whole life basically thinking no one was ever going to help her, and I...” Trevor flushed and looked embarrassed, “yeah I didn't either, in the end. I left her there.”

“....sometimes you have to get away and grow up a little more before you can help even yourself,” Sypha said gently. “And you did help her in the end. With Quinn. And being her friend.”

Trevor mumbled something, blushing a bit, and Adrian stifled a smile, turning over the words and their meaning.

“You think Anna's-”

The comm chimed in a familiar tone; his mother was calling. Adrian hesitated a moment, looking at the other two, then pulled the comm out of his pocket. He couldn't _not_ answer Lisa, after all.

“Hello Mother...?”

“ _Adrian, I need you to come to the hospital near the hiking plateau._ ”

The worry in her tone made him sit up a little, concerned.

“Are you hurt?”

“ _No, but...._ ” Lisa was quiet for a moment, and it was the anxious sort that made Adrian's heart speed up a little. “ _It's Anna._ ”

“....Anna?”

A curious numbness was seeping into him, making him feel clumsy, his tongue thick and suddenly useless. Trevor and Sypha crowded around him almost immediately, their concern overlapping his own.

“ _She's collapsed._ ”

-

The hospital room was surprisingly calm all things considered, though Adrian was not at all certain about how they'd gotten there. The last clear memory he had was of his mother telling him that Anna had collapsed, and then it was like a filter of white noise had hit him. Nothing had made sense, not her voice, not Trevor or Sypha. He knew they had to have been speaking, and he could vaguely remember Sypha taking the communicator from him, but nothing was in focus until he walked into the room and saw Anna lying on the bed.

She looked so small... He was used to considering her short, but not _small_. Not... fragile. Anna was anything _but_ fragile. She was tough, a calm and quiet little powerhouse, despite what she seemed to think of herself. She shouldn't be in that bed, unconscious and oblivious to his presence....

Adrian moved up to stand next to the bed, looking down at her flushed face. _Fever,_ some distant part of his brain whispered. But how had she gotten this fever, gotten _ill?_ She had been properly immunized not more than a day after they'd landed on Athena, courtesy of his own mother's forethought. Was it a summer cold left unchecked? How had he not _noticed?_ He was with her pratically every hour he could be, he should have known, should have _seen-_

Lisa's hand landed on his arm and he jolted, then looked down at his mother.

“The hospital wants to keep her overnight for observation,” she said gently.

His rejection of the idea was immediate and visceral, though he couldn't find the words to give force to the feeling.

“Why?” Trevor demanded, speaking where Adrian couldn't.

“She was brought in maybe fifteen minutes ago, feverish and unconscious,” Lisa replied. “They've given her an antipyretic to help, but she hasn't woken up yet...”

For a moment she pressed her lips together, clearly weighing her priorities. Adrian made a sound of wordless protest; he _needed_ to know that Anna was going to be all right.

“It may be a sign of something more serious,” she finally said. “It's recommended that we wait for her to wake up so that one of the doctors on duty can ask questions and make sure she hasn't done any major damage to her brain.”

“Do they expect us to leave her here, _alone?”_ Trevor demanded, his voice rising.

“Trevor...” Sypha wrapped her arms around one of his, her tone soft. “Calm down.”

“...my cousin is lying in bed, unconscious, feverish, might have something _seriously_ wrong with her, and you think I can be _calm_?!”

He wasn't shouting, but he wasn't exactly quiet either. Adrian rather envied him; all his words felt locked away behind a plas-glass wall, impossible to breech so that he could be understood.

“No, but I think you can at least keep yourself from shouting,” Sypha replied. “You're not the only one here who's having trouble processing the event. What _did_ happen?”

Lisa shook her head a little.

“She was found passed out on the hiking trail, maybe a third of the way up. The people who found her tried to wake her, and when that failed, called for an ambulance and stayed with her until the paramedics arrived. She didn't stir once.”

That was wrong. That was _all_ wrong. Anna was the lightest of sleepers, those events should have roused her immediately. Any of them. _All_ of them. Without thinking about it, Adrian took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. Limp. Unresponsive.

 _Not right_.

“There's no signs of pinewhit bites, or any other sort of insect that might have made her ill, and no one is comfortable theorizing until she wakes up and can give us consent to run further tests,” Lisa continued. “But they're confident she _will_ wake up. Just... not sure when.”

Trevor opened his mouth then winced; even from the opposite side of the bed it was clear to Adrian that Sypha had stepped firmly on his foot.

“How long can we stay?”

“Visiting hours are for another two hours, and then everyone has to leave.”

Adrian's head snapped up to look at his mother, who shook her head gently. He tightened his grip on Anna's limp hand, pressing himself against the edge of the bed.

“We _can't_ leave her alone,” Sypha protested. “She'll think...”

“...she'll think we've abandoned her,” Trevor said hotly. “And if it were once of us, she'd _never_ leave us alone.”

Lisa sighed.

“I'm sorry, but those are the rules. I tried. I told them of the medical needs Adrian has, I tried telling them I was her primary care doctor, but they are adamant. Once visiting hours are over, everyone _must_ leave. No exceptions.”

But that would leave Anna alone. He couldn't leave Anna alone, not when she was ill. Trevor was right, she wouldn't have left any one of them, would have somehow badgered or bullied her way into staying, into-

Her fingers twitched a little, curling just a bit against his, and his attention immediately snapped back to her. Desperately he watched her face, and felt relief hit him almost painfully hard as her eyelids fluttered. He loosened his grip a little, though he didn't let go, and leaned in a bit so that she could see him.

“...'drian?”

Her voice was tiny. Muzzy with sleep and confusion. But she was awake, and she knew him. Her head shifted a little, green eyes moving beyond his face as more awareness returned.

“S'goin...?”

“You fainted, Anna,” Sypha said gently. “While you were hiking. Do you remember?”

“Nnn...”

She tried to sit up, and Adrian was alarmed at how much of a struggle it was until he slid an arm around her shoulders and helped her. Her head landed against his chest and he felt his knot of fear and tension easing. She was awake, and she certainly _seemed_ lucid enough...

“Was... at the overlook,” Anna said slowly. Picking her words or just struggling to get them out? It was hard to tell. “Looking... S'pretty up there.”

“...you were up there a while,” Trevor said, his tone gruff, thick with concern. “I didn't figure you one for an all-day hike...”

“Wasn... meanin to. Jus got... d's'racted... S'pretty. Wan'ed t'come back, n'heard someone comin... n'...”

She shook her head a little, and Adrian tightened his hold on her briefly, dipping to press a kiss to her head.

“...have you been visiting your therapist?” Lisa asked mildly.

Anna went still, then ducked her head a little, pressing her face lightly against Adrian's chest. He let out a slow breath and pressed his cheek to her hair, wanting nothing more than to scoop her up, out of the bed, and hold her tight enough to make her complain at him. His mother's question didn't make much sense to him, but clearly the answer to it was no.

Lisa shook her head a little, sighing slightly, but when she spoke her voice was gentle.

“Anna, the therapy is as much a release valve on the stress as talking to your family,” she scolded mildly. “If you're not talking to anyone, it's no wonder your system finally decided it'd had enough and shut you down.”

“...beep boop,” Anna muttered, and Adrian hid a smile.

“So this is... what, stress?” Trevor asked, a little incredulously.

“Anna?”

Anna shifted in his hold, looking up at Lisa's firm, unyielding tone.

“I'm going to get fetch the nurse who's going to want your permission to run some tests,” she said. “Are you going to fight about this?”

Anna shook her head a little, and Adrian took comfort in the way her hand tightened in his.

“All right. I'll be back in a moment.”

“ _Stress_?” Trevor repeated once the door had closed. “Is she _serious_?”

“Mn.... bodies do.. f'nny things, Tr'v'r,” Anna murmured, relaxing back into Adrian's hold. “S'stained stress c'n do... bad things.”

“...and of course you haven't yet met a stressful situation you could step away from,” Sypha said with a resigned sigh.

Anna muttered something in Spanish that Adrian decided he didn't need to translate. Instead, he just rubbed her back and nuzzled at her softly. She was awake. Anything else could be worried about later.

-

“But I can't just sit around and do _nothing_ ,” Anna protested. “That would be counter-productive!”

“We're not saying you sit around and do nothing, Anna,” Sypha said gently. “We're saying you do _less_ , and speak up _more_. If you're worried about something we should be told so that we can address it together.”

Still flushed with fever, Anna knew that Sypha was right, but the idea of speaking up about something so... _menial_ seemed. Well, pointless. So what if she was over-stressed? Wasn't that on _her_ to fix? It wasn't anyone's fault that she couldn't just let things go...

The scanners had all said the same basic thing; she was perfectly health aside from the fever, but she had an abnormally high amount of stress-related chemicals in her system. There had been several suggestions, from old fashioned medicine to new, and options to have the nanites reprogrammed to clear it up and make sure it didn't get quite so bad again, but...

“You're not even starting from square _one_ , Anna, you're at like... negative five,” Trevor said a bit sourly. “I mean, we know it's normal for you, but c'mon. Let up a little for us?”

Adrian didn't say anything, but he also wasn't inclined towards letting her go. Given there was only about twenty minutes left in visiting hours, she was fairly sure this was going to cause problems. Despite waking up, and feeling fairly lucid, despite complying with their scans and tests, they still wanted her to stay overnight... and Lisa was on the side of the hospital, which made it rather hard to admit that she would rather be at home with her family than sleeping in an unfamiliar place where she might be poked and prodded at during random intervals of the night.

“We know it's not your normal attitude towards things,” Sypha said gently, resting a hand on Anna's knee. “And it won't be easy to change, since most of it's defensive from... from your childhood. But...”

When Sypha hesitated, Trevor was much less subtle.

“We already have one person who's prone to collapse when he gets jumped by too much crap,” he said bluntly, nodding a little in Adrian's direction. Adrian responded by tightening his hold on Anna just slightly. “If you fall down, he's going with you, and we're not.... look, if there's some sort of training to make this _easier_ , I'll sure as hell take it, but you're the doctor here, Anna. We can't get by without you, not really.”

“....could too...”

“No we couldn't,” Sypha said firmly. “You were the one who kept pushing us through that whole mess on Atlantis, Anna. You found things we didn't know we needed, then kept pushing us to look for more. I don't know that we'd have _left_ if we didn't have you insisting we keep going deeper.”

“Probably wouldn't have found Adrian either,” Trevor added. “Or if we had we'd... well, we might've left him there, since he didn't exactly care about leaving until we did.”

Adrian nodded, then kissed her forehead when she looked up at him.

“...light...”

It was the first word he'd said since she'd woken up, and it was clear he was fighting to say even that much. Anna felt her heart pinch a little; her collapse had plainly affected him much more overtly than the other two. Trevor and Sypha could vent their frustrations by scolding her, but Adrian....

“....but I like being busy....”

“There's a huge difference between keeping busy and stretching yourself thin enough to break,” Sypha pointed out. “You've been doing the latter more or less since we touched down...”

“You've been doing that your whole _life_ ,” Trevor corrected, though the hand he plopped onto Anna's head was surprisingly gentle. “I know it's what you're used to. God knows I am too. But you don't _always_ have to be tough stuff, or figure out the way to make things go smooth. Sometimes, it's not _going_ to, and you just have to ride it out with us.”

Part of her balked at the idea; that was her _place,_ her role in the world. To make life easier on the people she cared for, to make sure that if there was something she could give, she _gave_ it, and that was fine.

Wasn't it?

“We know you don't like... pandering,” Sypha said after a minute, and judging by her expression, she'd been expecting Adrian to speak up. “Or being smothered with attention. But when Adrian broke down, you put your foot down and limited his working hours as much as you could, and pushed him to delegate more of his duties.”

Which had worked just fine for Adrian, but...

“We're definitely going to reduce your working hours,” Lisa said, making Anna jump; she'd been so focused on Sypha and Trevor that she'd forgotten her mother in law was still standing at the foot of the bed. “Fewer days at the clinic, and more teenagers and children instead of the adults.”

“But-”

“No buts,” and Lisa fixed her with a stern stare that made Anna flinch back against Adrian. His arms tightened gently around her, one hand sliding soothing up and down her back. “You know perfectly well the effects of too much stress, and you've had a _lifetime_ of it. You need to learn better management skills, instead of just trying to deny it exists.”

Tears prickled at her eyes, and she bit her lip, trying to stifle it. Lisa was perfectly right to scold, they _all_ were, she shouldn't want to cry about it!

Adrian's hold shifted a little, and he pressed her face gently against his shoulder.

“Cry,” he invited softly. “Feel better.”

She shook her head a little, taking a shuddery breath. He'd already been pushed so hard just by this, if she fell apart....

“S'okay. My Anna. M'light. Need it.”

She couldn't deny that she did, but...

Trevor's hand landed gently on the back of her head, and Sypha's on her shoulder.

“We're here _for_ you, Anna,” Sypha said gently. “If you need to cry, we're not going to go anywhere.”

“...I mean, unless you want us to get lost,” Trevor muttered, sounding somewhat gruffly embarrassed. “Ow!”

“No jokes,” Sypha said sternly, and Anna didn't need to look at them to know that Trevor was being given a stern frown. “You're embarrassed, that's fine, but no jokes like that.”

“...yeah yeah,” Trevor groused a little. “You didn't have to pinch me _that_ hard...”

She felt more than hear Adrian's soft huff of fond amusement, and just closed her eyes, curling her arms slowly around him.

“We're family,” Sypha said softly. “We're the _good_ kind of family, the kind who sticks together even when things are hard. So don't you worry about crying, or breaking apart; we're here to help pick up the pieces and put you back together.”

“...not gonna leave you behind again,” Trevor muttered. “Promise.”

That did it; Anna freed one hand to reached up and grab hold of Trevor's even as she buried her face against Adrian's shoulder. The tears trickled out slowly at first, but as Trevor moved around the bed—though he never let go of her hand, not even for a moment—then wrapped his arms around her and Adrian both, they came faster, and the tiny hiccups became full sobs.

Dimly she became aware that tears were dropping onto her head, but it was like a dam had burst and the tears were just flooding out, impossible to stop; all she could do was tighten her grip, trying to let him know that it was okay. And maybe it was _better_ this way, for both of them to be crying. Or was it all of them, for she knew Sypha had come around to Adrian's other side to join the hug.

In the end, it mattered less than it probably should have, and she surrendered to the tears.

-

Adrian rolled restlessly, searching for a body that wasn't there, and made a soft, unhappy sound when he couldn't find her. It took a few moments for memory to return, to remember that Anna was in the hospital overnight, just to be on the safe side, and that he was supposed to be snuggled up to Trevor and Sypha in Trevor's oversized bed.

But without Anna, sleeping felt rather like an exercise in futility.

It wasn't the first time he'd had these thoughts; he _always_ slept better when Anna was close at hand, and he knew that it was mutual for her.

He sighed tiredly and sat up carefully, pressing a hand to his face. Trevor slept rather like a brick, but after a moment, Sypha propped herself up on one elbow with a blearily inquisitive noise.

“...sorry,” Adrian murmured. “Didn't... mean to wake you...”

The initial idea had been that he would sleep between them, in the hopes that it might help, but he'd ended up on the outside anyways, preferring to try and wrap around Sypha to see if that would help. And according to the clock on the wall, he'd drowsed for a couple of hours.... but Sypha was not Anna, and didn't fit in his arms quite the same.

“S'all right,” she said drowsily. “It's been a hard day for you...”

He'd wanted to stay at the hospital with Anna, or bring her home with them. She _belonged_ home with them, damnit... but she'd cried herself to sleep, and had been unable to make that decision. Arguably as her husband he could have pushed for it, but he was still fluctuating between verbal and non, and it had been too hard to fight for the words.

Plus, his mother thought it was for the best, and he was hard-pressed to argue with her professional opinion.

“You should... rest,” he said after a long moment.

“So should you,” Sypha countered. “She wasn't the only one who needed to cry...”

He flushed a little, and rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't _meant_ to cry, but Anna's pain had cracked something in him too, and he hadn't quite been able to help himself. He did feel better for it, really. Less like he would come apart at the seams with whatever tried to fall on them next.

He hoped nothing would, for a while. Better or not, he was still on the discomforting side of shaky, and it was hard to focus on Sypha when he was seeing various types of rays making their way through the walls and ceiling.

“I think it did some good for Trevor too,” she added quietly, looking over at her sleeping fiance. “To say he wasn't going to leave her again, I mean.”

Adrian nodded a little, then winced as Trevor shifted and his snore went from something pleasant to loud and obnoxious. Sypha rolled her eyes a little and pushed at him a little, making him shift again and the noise went down to a more.... sufferable level.

“What happens next?” he asked as she sat up the rest of the way, clearly intent on keeping him company if he was going to be awake.

“You mean other than making sure Anna stops skipping therapy appointments?” Sypha said dryly.

“Mmm...”

He should have noticed that too. How could he have missed it? She had been so meticulous to schedule their appointments at similar times, both because he needed to see her after his and because it was a way to spare the car battery from needing to be recharged so often. Had she really sat in the waiting room for two hours while he spoke to Dr. Malin about how he was doing, about how things were changing and how he'd changed....

No, if she'd done that, someone would have remarked upon it. So she must have been going out and then returning before his appointment was finished.

It hurt, a little, to think that she'd done that. To think that, despite knowing full well she had her own scars, she'd chosen to not address them in a healthy manner, to sit on what she was feeling and pretend to fine. But at the same time, he had to admit that he was no different; his therapy had focused on preserving his mental fortitude to manhandle his way into the upper echelons of society. It hadn't really _addressed_ half the topics it needed to, and they had both made a show of pretense.

No, he couldn't be mad at her for doing the exact same things he'd done. He could even understand why she had, just based on knowing her as she was.

“I don't know,” Sypha admitted, drawing him out of the thought spiral. “Maybe group therapy? You three have some genuine abandonment issues that I don't think have been addressed, properly, and I don't think solo appointments will help any of you with that.”

Adrian grimaced a little; more therapy was not really what he had in mind, but admittedly he wasn't sure what else they could try.

“....do you worry about Trevor?” he asked after a moment.

Sypha sighed a little.

“Sometimes,” she admitted, leaning against Adrian lightly. “He's not so good at pretending as you or Anna, but he can go quiet and shut down just the same with the wrong comment. But mostly, he expresses himself on... you know, _everything_. He says when he's upset, he admits when he doesn't want to really do something and he's only doing it because one of us wants to... he's not perfect, but he _is_ a little better than you or Anna about owning up to what he really feels at the moment.”

Adrian smiled ruefully and leaned wearily back. It was hard to argue when Trevor liked to complain about as much as he could, usually without bothering to be subtle about it.

“In the end, we are what we were made by circumstances,” Sypha said. “We are all working, every day, to become something better, though. And sometimes we're going to need help with that. No one's perfect, and it may be that we can't _get_ you, or Anna to always be open. But that's okay, because we _are_ here to help you pick up the pieces. We'll put them back together in a way that makes sense to us, and it won't be perfect, it won't go back to the way it was, but maybe it'll be enough so that we can move forward.”

He nodded a little, and hugged her, feeling new tears stinging his eyes. Sypha hugged back, and her hands rubbed soothing little circled on his back as he bowed his head slightly and wept into her hair.

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

Crying is... very cathartic. There is such a stigma about that, it's hard to let go, but once the latch is turned... it's hard to stop sometimes. Fortunately, Sypha is very understanding. I don't... _think_ I need to cry nearly as much as Anna, who's had a lifetime without being comforted in that way, but...

Sypha has fallen asleep again, and I appear to be her cuddly since we removed to the couch to watch vids. I want to sleep, I do, and after crying like that, and the... the missing moments from Mother's call to seeing Anna in the hospital, I know I should, but.... Anna's not here.

It makes a world of difference, and I am not sure if that is comforting or disconcerting. We're both trying so hard to maintain healthy boundaries, to avoid smothering each other with attention...

Perhaps that too is something I need to talk to her about.


	9. Chapter 9

Nine

“Look, all I'm saying is that it was kind of a stupid thing, and you're not prone to stupid. It's _my_ job to be stupid, remember?”

Adrian looked up as Anna and Trevor entered the house, both of them looking highly aggrieved with one another. Silently he turned off his data pad, abandoning his sorting project for the moment and got to his feet to see which one of them he was going to need to side with.

“It was perfectly safe,” Anna replied, moving into the kitchen instead of towards the living room. “I'm not fragile, Trevor, I'm allowed to take a few risks, and I watched very carefully how it was done before I did it myself.”

“You only got out of the hospital three days ago, I think I'm allowed to be concerned!”

Adrian's attention sharpened and he followed them in, watching with raised eyebrows as Anna pulled out ice cream bars, and offered one to Trevor, then to him. Trevor snatched it, looking rather grumpy as he unwrapped the cold treat, and Adrian accepted his with as much curiosity as concern.

“What did you do?” he asked.

“You know that cliff on the far side of the lake?”

He nodded; it was a fairly tall cliff, but the water was correspondingly deeper, and it was a good place for cliff jumpers in the summer.

He paused, ice cream halfway to his mouth, then gave her a narrow stare. Anna sighed.

“I don't plan on doing it again, but I wanted to try,” she said patiently. “I watched about a dozen people doing it first, talked to them about the safest way, _told_ Trevor I was going to try it, and then I did it. He's just mad because he didn't think I would.”

Trevor muttered something unflattering around his ice cream that Anna ignored, nibbling delicately at her own treat. Adrian turned the words over in his mind, then sighed a little.

“If she told you, you don't have a leg to stand on,” he said, giving Trevor a sidelong look. “It's not her fault if you don't expect her to follow through on a thing. But also, Anna, he has a point,” and he frowned a little at her. “You _were_ in the hospital three days ago, and you've been.... unsteady. Physically speaking. I know how high that cliff is, and how deep the water. That wasn't exactly safe.”

Trevor looked rather like he didn't know whether to be smug or annoyed. Anna just sighed after a minute, and hung her head a bit.

“....they were having fun,” she said softly. “I thought... I thought maybe if I tried it, I would understand what it was to do something just to... to _do_ it. Because it's fun.”

“Was it fun, though? For you?”

She grimaced a little, and Trevor snorted.

“Well, you didn't freeze at the edge of the cliff,” he said a little grudgingly. “You were always doing that as a kid, and I'd have to come piggyback you down.”

“Complaining the whole way,” she said with a somewhat timid smile.

“Hey, we have established that I was a shitty kid,” he said, mock-affronted. “Of _course_ I bitched about it. But I still did it, didn't I?”

The smile became fond, and Adrian let out a small, mental sigh of relief. Not a true argument then, just them being gently perturbed with one another, easily resolved. Poking at them both without having to take a side.... that was nice. Though admittedly if he _had_ chosen a side, he probably would have been with Trevor. The idea of Anna jumping off that cliff...

“Yeah, you did. And then you'd make me help you with your homework to pay you back,” she teased, her voice easily breaking into Adrian's train of thought before it could go too far down that track.

“...uh huh, right, who was the one always _badgering_ me to do my homework again?”

“Only because you wouldn't if I didn't,” she replied, tossing the stick from the treat into the composter.

“Somehow, this does not surprise me in the least,” Adrian said dryly. “I cannot picture a small Trevor willingly sitting at a table or a desk to do homework if _someone_ isn't sitting on him.”

Trevor responded by sticking his tongue out at both of them, and tossing his own stick into the composter.

“Where's Sypha at?”

“She said she was doing something downstairs. I assume swimming,” Adrian replied, casting a thoughtful look at the basement door. “Though she did say something about a project...”

“And you're not curious?”

Adrian snorted a little, and moved to put his own stick in the composter, then comfortably drape an arm around Anna's shoulders. She curled an arm around his waist and let her head rest on his shoulder, and he relaxed minutely.

“Oh, I am,” he replied, giving Trevor a wry smile. “But not quite curious enough to interrupt. Sypha can be quite... territorial, you know.”

Anna snickered a little at the pained expression Trevor briefly acquired, and Adrian chuckled slightly.

“So we're just going to wait and be mildly perturbed until she decides to-”

“Adrian, is Anna- Oh, good, you are~ C'mere, I made you something!”

Sypha looked entirely too pleased with herself to by anything _but_ worrying; Adrian lifted his arm so that Anna could slip out from under it, and wander curiously towards their girlfriend.

“Do we get to see what this mystery is too?” Trevor drawled.

“Sure, but it's not going to be as exciting for you,” Sypha replied with a cheeky grin.

“See, you say it like that and I get _more_ curious, not less,” Trevor said, falling in behind the two women. “What've you been doing...?”

“You'll see~”

Unable to deny his own piqued interest, he followed as well, and paused in the doorway of the basement for a moment to let his eyes adjust.

When they'd first moved in, they'd decided that the basement would make for a good indoor pool; a way to swim at any time, without having to put up with the weather or the walk to the lake. A small corner had been sectioned off as storage for the extra materials for things they'd broken down from their old house on Torrens, another corner had Trevor's preferred workout gear, and then the rest of the room had been given over to the pool.

Well, now the pool was about half the size it had been—still plenty of room to swim laps, float, or play ball, as long as they were careful—and the other half had been paneled off with...

“You built an underground greenhouse?” Anna said blankly, staring at the construct.

“Mmhm,” And Sypha beamed, clearly pleased with herself. “I thought about what you said in the hospital, how you didn't want to sit around and do nothing. And you're both going to be here until the second ship is ready to leave. So, sine we don't have any yard to speak of upstairs, I thought you could do planting and growing down here.”

The flinch was subtle and slight, but it didn't go unnoticed. Trevor put a hand on Anna's shoulder and squeezed gently, and Adrian slipped his hand into hers, lacing their fingers together. He didn't much like the reminder either; as much as he wanted to have her all to himself, it was going to be far too quiet without Trevor's bluster and Sypha's enthusiasm.

“...you made this for me?”

Sypha nodded, though her pleasure dimmed to concern. Adrian squeezed Anna's hand gently as her breath hitched a little and she swallowed hard. How often had Anna gotten gifts that were not laced with some sort of expectation? _Especially_ gifts from people who were precious to her...

“Is it too much?” Sypha asked, uncertain now. “I just... I was hoping...”

Anna took in a deep breath and swallowed hard, then gave Sypha a somewhat tremulous smile. Adrian released her hand, and Trevor gave her a gentle push, both men stepping back so that Anna could throw her arms around Sypha and hide her face against the other woman's shoulder. Sypha hugged back, resting her cheek against Anna's head, then gave them both a pointed look. Nothing loathe, Adrian moved in to wrap them up in a hug, and Trevor followed, snugging Anna neatly in the middle.

-

“ _An underground garden? Really? Can I see it?_ ”

“When you're back from camp, yes,” Anna replied, unable to keep from smiling a little at Mina's clear enthusiasm. “Though I'm not sure what to grow just yet....”

“ _You should grow puffblooms! They're_ super _pretty!_ ”

“Puffblooms, huh?”

Mina nodded eagerly, practically bouncing on her stool.

“ _And then when you have to go, you can bring them over to our house and Mama can put them in the garden!_ ”

“That would be nice... I don't want to grow something only to have nowhere to put it after we leave...”

It had been a _bit_ overwhelming, to be perfectly frank. She hadn't expected Sypha to not only think of something like that, but to then go ahead and alter the basement so that it was _possible_... She glanced up at Sypha briefly, then squeaked as her girlfriend gave her a hug.

“Are you having fun at camp?” Adrian asked with a wry smile.

“ _Oh yeah! We're not supposed to use a lot of tech, so sometimes things kind of.... explode... But no one got hurt this week!_ ”

“....that doesn't sound ominous at _all_ ,” Trevor said with a snicker.

Mina just beamed at them.

“So there's visitors day coming up?” Sypha asked.

“ _Uh huh! Mama usually comes, and sometimes Johnathan too. Papa's_ tried _, but_ ,” Mina sighed dramatically, pouting. “ _Papa's always busy._ ”

“Father does have a rather large company to run, Mina,” Adrian said gently. “It's not his fault that sometimes things explode.”

That made the little girl giggle, even as she stuck out her tongue.

“ _I knoooooow. But I wish he could come more often. It's not fair..._ ” She paused, then brightened. “ _Can you guys come? It'd be loads of fun, and I can show off my_ really _big brother! No one here believes me when I say you're finally home._ ”

“Ah.... “ Adrian glanced at Anna who shrugged slightly; it sounded fun to her, but... “We'll have to talk about it with Mother.”

“ _Awwww.... I know what_ that _means_ ,” and Mina pouted at them.

“It means maybe,” Sypha said with a small chuckle.

This time Mina stuck out her tongue, then giggled when Trevor replied in kind, making a show of it for good measure. Anna elbowed him gently, and he grinned a little at her.

“We'll do our best, but no promises, kiddo,” he said. “Adult life is complicated~”

Whatever Mina was going to reply was cut short by one of the counselors tapping her on the shoulder. Mina sighed, pouting a little.

“ _I gotta go. We're going out to the lake after this, and I have to get ready n'stuff._ ”

“Well, thank you for calling us,” Adrian said with a fond smile. “I'm glad to know you're having fun at camp. Tell Starie we say hello as well,.”

“ _Okay! I hope you guys get to come for visiting day~ It'd be awesome! See you later!_ ”

Mina closed the link, and Adrian shook his head in fond amusement.

“Do you think she called us _instead_ of your mom?” Sypha asked after a moment, leaning back on the couch absently.

“No, I'm quite sure she called Mother first,” Adrian replied, leaning sideways slightly to snuggle against Anna. “Which begs the question of whether it was Mother's suggestion or her own idea.”

Anna snuggled back, curling her arms loosely around his.

“Hey, either way, it's nice to hear from pint-size,” Trevor pointed out, grinning a little. “And visitors day? Is that really a thing with camps?”

“Mmhm,” and Sypha nodded before Adrian could speak. “My cousins and I would do sleep-away camps over the summer too. It's mostly to advertise the camp to the adults who care to come, and also to show off just how good their situation is, with the implication that donations could make it even _better_.”

“Huh.”

“You two have never been to that sort of thing, have you?”

Anna shook her head, and Trevor shrugged.

“We could escape for hours without a camp in summers,” he replied. “I did day camp a couple times when.... back before I stayed with Anna's family. But that was morning drop off, evening pick up.”

“What was that like?” Adrian asked.

“Not terrible,” Trevor shrugged a little, draping his arm along the back of the couch. “Lots of self-defense classes, and things like that. I always meant to sign up for archery, but then they brought in fencing, and that was _loads_ more interesting.”

“You learned how to fence?” Adrian asked, amused.

“For a little bit, yeah. I mean, there was also fishing, hiking, kids could take turns cooking in the mess hall kitchen.... It was a pretty nice place. We didn't have a big fancy lake or anything, but there was a pool nearby that we could bike to. And my folks...” he paused a moment then sighed and continued on, “weren't as nice as yours, but they ran a decently sized business, so having a place for me that was out of their way during the day was pretty good for them too.”

“What... _were_ your parents like?” Sypha asked carefully.

“Not amazing. Not _terrible_ , but not the best. They made sure I had what I needed, and if I could make a case for getting something, I usually did, but they weren't... the most affectionate people around.”

Anna leaned against Trevor a little, pressing her head against his arm gently. Trevor didn't _like_ talking about his family too much, and she'd never seen a reason to press him on it. Whatever situation had brought him into her life when they'd been kids, it had been bad enough that he'd clammed up every time the subject _came_ up, unless he was using it to be deliberately obnoxious.

Even then, he'd make his snappish remark and then go quiet, sometimes for hours. Since she'd never liked that, she'd always found it safer to avoid the topic.

“They were always more focused on the company,” he said after a long minute. “And I mean, I know it's because they were getting it off the ground, and trying to build something that would support them, me, the future, whatever... but it kind of sucked having no one home, or finding a baby-sitter instead of my folks. Even on weekends, it was all but guaranteed that one of them would be at the offices, while the other just wanted to sleep, or relax and not do anything.”

“....the company?”

Trevor nodded.

“Not sure anymore what they called it... Something leon. Hell, I don't even know what they were trying to do. It was considered too complicated for a kid like me, and by the time they got home, they just wanted to eat and go to bed, not tell me what they'd done that day, or find out...”

Trevor's hands had clenched into fists, and he was scowling. Anna reached over and covered one, Adrian's hand resting on hers after a moment. Sypha held the other one, and pressed her head against Trevor's shoulder comfortingly. He closed his eyes briefly, then let out a slow breath.

“Sorry. I keep thinking I'm over it, but...”

“It's okay,” Sypha said, squeezing his hand gently. “It sounds like it was rather complicated.”

“....well, you're not wrong...”

He half-smiled ruefully, then tipped his head back to look at the ceiling; it was clear enough to Anna that he didn't really want to talk about his parents or his past any more.

“So, _should_ we try to attend visitors day at Mina's camp?” she asked. “It sounds like it'll be a busy affair...”

“I'd like to,” Adrian said after a thoughtful moment. “I don't remember the camp in question, but it would be nice to see where Mina likes to spend her summers. Even if it means putting up with Johnathan for the day, I think I could do that.”

Anna's heart jumped a little, and for a moment gray fuzz touched the edges of her vision. She forced herself to take a few deep breaths, trying to do so as unobtrusively as possible to avoid worrying anyone, and the fuzziness cleared.

She didn't want to lay the blame for her collapse at Johnathan's feet, but she also couldn't deny that their conversation had been part of what had finally tipped that delicate balance of denial and coping. And she had a feeling that both Trevor and Adrian suspected that, though neither one of them had brought it up.

“Anna? What do you think?”

“...I... think I've never been to a camp and therefore have no idea on what it's like?” she offered tentatively. “Will it be better or worse than Mina's school event?”

“Mmmm.... I'm not sure,” Adrian admitted. “I don't... remember what it was like for myself or Johnathan. We can call Mother, ask her?”

“Might be a good idea,” Sypha said with a nod. Then grinned teasingly. “And you're wearing a shirt this time, Mr Lobster~”

Adrian groaned a little, then reached across Anna and a snickering Trevor to give Sypha a gentle shove.

-

“I could attempt to tan...”

“I don't think that would work out the way you want it to,” Anna said absently, not looking up from her data pad. “You're too pale for it to turn out well, dear.”

Adrian glanced over at her then smiled ruefully; she probably did have a point, but the summer days had become scorchingly hot, and he really didn't want to wear more clothing than he absolutely had to.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, making his way over to the bed to sit next to her.

“Seeds and plants.”

Curious, he leaned his head against her shoulder dropping a small kiss on bare skin. She leaned back, and didn't seem bothered by his weight, so he loosely wrapped his arms around her and eyed the screen.

Sure enough, there were several tabs of seeds and their corresponding plants open on her screen; the sight made him smile a little. She might not be beaming or bouncing, but she wasn't being slow in putting Sypha's gift to good use.

“Those look more decorative than practical,” he teased gently.

“I'm going to have to be practical when we get to Atlantis, I can be frivolous here,” she replied, defensiveness tinging her tone.

“Yes, yes, you can,” he said mildly, nuzzling at her gently.

“....sorry...”

“It's all right. That did sound a bit more critical than I thought it would.”

She sighed a little and snuggled back against him, laying the pad down on her lap after a moment more.

“....I don't want to be temperamental...”

“I don't mind,” he replied, hugging her gently. “I know better than to think you're always kind and gentle...” And after a moment he grinned a little. “Considering your verbally bit me _several_ times while we were still on Atlantis, and dealing with the kharaa.”

She blushed, ducking her head a little, and he kissed her cheek fondly.

“You have emotions,” he said gently. “It's perfectly fine to show them. I'd really rather you _did_. I like knowing _all_ of you, not just the parts and pieces that make life easier. Though I must admit,” and he teasingly nibbled at her neck, making her shiver a little, “I do prefer the _physical_ biting as opposed to the verbal one~”

She blushed more, and stuck an elbow in his ribs. Not hard enough to indicate she wanted him to let go, but just enough to show displeasure at being teased. He chuckled softly, and held her tight for a moment, making her squeak a small complaint before easing his grip.

“You could speak to Mother,” he offered as her fingers loosely stroked the edges of her data pad. “Most of the grounds are computer cultivated, I won't lie, but I know she has several spots where she does the work when she can. She would know which plants would suit a.... beginning gardener.”

“....I don't know....”

“It's just advice,” he said soothingly, hearing the tension under the uncertainty. “And if you end up not doing anything with it, I don't think Sypha will mind. It _was_ a bit of a surprise.”

He felt her shift a little, uncomfortably, and eased his hold a little more.

“It was... a gift, though. I should...”

“Only if you want to. And if you want to deconstruct it, then we can do that too.”

Anna squeaked a small denial, turning a wide-eyed stare up at him. Adrian shrugged lightly, and kissed the tip of her nose.

“It's your gift, that means you can do what you want with it,” he pointed out. “You can use it for flowers, for fruit bushes, or you can decide that it was a very thoughtful idea, but you liked the pool the way it was, and we can just put everything back.”

“But that feels... ungrateful....”

“It's not. Sypha knows how much it meant to you that she did that,” and he smiled gently and she flushed and looked away, embarrassed. “She might be a bit hurt, I don't know for sure, but I think she'd understand if you said it was too much.”

Anna went quiet, then turned in his hold until she was snuggled up to him, head under his chin and arms loosely wrapped around his waist.

“I don't know... I need to think about it...”

“Okay,” and he cuddled her softly, rubbing her back. “I'm here for whatever you decide, Anna.”

She sighed a little, and pressed a little more against him; for several minutes there was silence, and he enjoyed it. Just sitting here, holding her while they did nothing...

“...I never thought I'd get anything like this,” he said finally, very quietly. “Not... not a cure, not a way off, not... you...”

Anna stirred slightly, and he realized she was drifting. Well, that was all right, he liked her when she was sleepy and less guarded.

“M'neither,” she murmured, her arms tightening a little around him. “Was... t'scared. F'r long time.”

“...given the jackass who we shall not name, I don't think I can blame you for being afraid.”

She snorted a little, and he felt her smile as she snuggled.

“S'one word for him...”

“I can come up with more~”

“You've been hanging 'round Trevor too much if you can,” she yawned, then nuzzled him a little, “say somethin like that.”

He shifted slowly, contently, easing them both down until she was laying on him and they were laying down. Her data pad slid from her lap to the bed, and he nudged it a little more out of the way with his knee as he got comfortable.

“There is a good possibility of that,” he agreed as she shifted to tuck her head under his chin. “He does have a way of rubbing off on people.”

“...terrifying thought...”

Adrian chuckled softly, tipping his head to kiss her forehead.

“Maybe a little bit.... Anna?”

“Mn?”

“I realize you're falling asleep, and I don't want to keep you up, but I have a question for you.”

“M'listenin...?”

“Would you.... like to go on a date?”

He felt her blink, and the drowsy relaxation faded as she shifted to prop herself up a bit. He let her, though not without some reluctance.

“Date?”

“Mmhm.”

“ _Now?_ ”

He chuckled and kissed her nose.

“No, of course not. It's time to sleep now, for both of us. I meant more... in the next few days. Just you and me.”

She settled again, and he let his hands stroke her back gently.

“....what kind of date,” she finally asked, reaching up to push some of his hair out of his face.

“I was thinking very simple,” he said, nuzzling her palm gently as her fingers trailed over his face. “A nice restaurant, some dancing, or maybe a walk through one of the parks.... just you and me.”

“But... s'not much time...”

“I have several ideas for group dates, we won't leave them out,” he said reassuringly. “But time for us is important too. Where I'm not working and you're not working... inasmuch as you can be not working while still taking care of me....”

Anna blushed a little, and hid her face against his neck. It didn't change the fact that he knew she was blushing, it just made her all the more adorable.

“Will you think about it?”

She nodded, pressing her face a little more against his neck. Amused, he just wrapped his arms snugly around her, kissed the top of her head, and let himself relax.

-

Personal log, Anna Torres

I really don't understand, sometimes, how any of this happened. It's... Sometimes it's like a dream, and sometimes it's like I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I guess that's part of what the problem is. I'm holding myself back, afraid of that... But the longer this lasts, the less I feel it will happen, and that's... sort of scary too. I don't know how to live a life without tension.

I need to learn. I know I do. But it's so hard to talk about...

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

We talked it over and agreed that we would try to attend visitors day for Mina and Starie. I am looking forward to seeing Eliza and Charri again, though putting up with Johnathan may be... difficult. And Mother has indicated that his partner, Astra, may also be coming. Anna seems... cautiously optimistic. Sypha is excited, and Trevor is just going along with it.

I have been told that I am _not_ allowed to spend six hours under the sun this time, and I am not inclined to argue. One experience of sunburn is quite enough for me.


	10. Chapter 10

Ten

To say it had been a tense car ride was being.... _optimistic_. Trevor had made no secret of his dislike of Johnathan, and Adrian's own strained relation with his brother had meant that a lot of glaring had been traded between the three men. So Anna was really quite glad when they arrived at the Willow Whip Camp, and she was able to escape the thick air of the car.

“...are they _always_ like that?”

She looked up at Astra, who had followed her out, and shrugged a little helplessly.

“Unfortunately,” Sypha replied, pursing her lips in a small frown. “Trevor's decided he doesn't like Johnathan because _Johnathan's_ decided he doesn't like Adrian. And Adrian still doesn't know how to _talk_ to Johnathan...”

“It's.... complicated,” Anna added after a moment looking away from girlfriend and new acquaintance to watch Adrian slide out of the car. “Johnathan feels abandoned. Replaced. And Adrian doesn't know. I think he suspects, but it's all so tangled up in both of them... Neither one of them knows where to start.”

Astra made an exasperated noise, shaking their head gently.

“ _Men_.”

Sypha snorted a laugh, and even Anna had to smile.

“Hard to argue with that,” Sypha said. “Aren't _we_ supposed to be the emotional, hysterical gender?”

“Hey, speak for yourself, I'm not any one thing,” Astra protested with a grin. “Which is why I can make fun equally.”

Sypha rolled her eyes gently in tolerant amusement as they were joined by the rest of the group, and Anna looked towards the entrance of the camp yet again. She'd never seen one of these; going in seemed rather... _daunting,_ as it were. There were plenty of children gathered around the entry gate, yelling in delight, or to be heard over their friends, or just to yell, it seemed.

“Did anyone think to let Mina know that it would be a conglomerate?” Vlad asked lightly as he carefully straightened his sleeves. “Or is this going to be one relatively large surprise to the youngest?”

Lisa chuckled slightly.

“I did suggest that it might be a larger group than normal, but nothing specific,” she replied as they started towards the gate. “This way she has multiple people to expend her energy with.”

“....said it before, say it again, you are a _sneaky_ lady,” Trevor said with a small grin.

Lisa laughed softly, clearly pleased. Anna reached sideways and found Adrian's hand, twining her fingers with his nervously. He tugged her closer and squeezed her hand gently.

“There will... there should be places to sit and rest if we need it,” he said softly as Lisa greeted a startled looking counselor, and began to introduce the party. “All else fails, if it becomes too much, we can retreat to the car. Deal?”

“...I'll definitely hold you to that,” she murmured, smiling meekly as the counselor handed Lisa a veritable fleet of badges that marked them as visitors for the day. “I... already don't feel...”

It was hard to articulate. She _wanted_ to be there, she really did. It would be nice to see Mina and Starie, nicer still if they say Charri and Eliza and little Liesse. But there was just so much _noise_.

“I know. Me too.”

That helped. When Lisa passed her a badge, she looped the lanyard around her neck and took a slow, deep breath, squeezing Adrian's hand tightly for a moment. He squeezed back, and smiled at her when she looked up at him. They were both feeling the strain already, and they would have to keep themselves in check to not ruin the day for the rest.

And wasn't _that_ going to be interesting?

-

Adrian did his best to not cling to Anna as they followed the excited duo of Mina and Starie. Mina had been so surprised to see all of them that she'd stood there a moment, before barreling into their father with a delighted squeal. Starie had been a little more restrained—their parents were already there, of course—but there had been hugs for everyone the child had recognized, and a grin for Adrian's choice of attire.

“I see you've elected to not risk sunburn this time,” Eliza teased gently as Mina pointed out the crafting cabin.

“Once was enough,” he replied dryly. “Also, I was not allowed out of the house until I agreed.”

“You say as though it wasn't your idea in the first place,” Anna murmured, a tiny, strained smile on her face.

“Well, yes, but when you all gang up on me, it's a bit unfair,” and he pouted at her, making her giggle.

“I don't think spouses are meant to fight fair,” Eliza said thoughtfully, glancing fondly at Charri who was listening very intently to something Starie was saying. “But that is one of the thins we must put up with as married people.”

Anna giggled again, and Adrian sighed theatrically.

“Yes yes, puncture my balloon of ignorance.”

“Happily~ That is, after all, what _friends_ are supposed to do.”

He snorted and grinned at her briefly. It was _nice_ to be friends with her, really. She wasn't Liesse, nor the next best thing. She was fun in her own right, and he had a feeling that Liesse would have approved of this friendship if she could have seen it grow.

“Where is Liesse?”

“We let her stay with a sitter today,” Eliza replied. “She did not want to come, and indicated that very firmly. It was very last minute, but fortunately her daycare was on the way, and we were able to drop her off with minimal fuss.”

He nodded his understanding , then staggered a little as Mina cheerfully plowed into him, arms wrapping around his waist as far as they could go.

“Mina, _gently,”_ Lisa said, shaking her head lightly.

“Sorry~”

She didn't look sorry at all, just impish, and Adrian huffed a small sigh, then smiled at her.

“Something I can do for you?”

“Come make crafts with me!” she replied imperiously.

“Are we all doing this?”

“Uh huh! It's not hard~”

Adrian raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the rest of the group. Vlad and Lisa were smiling tolerantly, looking quite willing to go along with what Mina wanted. Trevor shrugged minutely, indicating that he either didn't mind or didn't care, while Sypha looked amused, and inclined to agree. Johnathan looked a bit put out, but Astra seemed delighted, which made him wonder what Mina's idea of a 'not hard' craft was.

“All right. I think I can reasonably make something worth showing off...”

-

“We are _never_ getting all this glitter off,” Trevor groaned.

“I do believe _you_ started it,” Sypha replied.

“Okay, but it was Johnathan who escalated,” Astra pointed out, trying to futilely brush glitter from their multicolored afro. “He dumped that whole bottle on his brother.”

“ _And_ got us all kicked out of the crafting cabin.”

“No, Trevor, that was you,” Anna said dryly, carefully wiping her face with a damp paper towel. Glitter in the eyes would _not_ be fun. “For your retaliation.”

Trevor grumbled a little, shaking out his shirt into the grass before pulling it back on.

“I have to say, you lot _do_ make this entirely more exciting than I was expecting,” Charri said with a laugh.

“I don't think _anyone_ was expecting it to go like _that_ ,” Sypha said, pursing her lips slightly.

“I was _joking_ ,” Trevor complained, reaching up to try and get more glitter out of his hair. “I wasn't _actually_ going to drop glitter on him, jeez.”

“Threatening to glitterbomb someone isn't a joke with _you_ ,” Anna retorted. “Because we know you'll _do_ it.”

Sypha nodded solemnly, and he huffed in reply.

“Who do you think is being scolded the most?” Charri asked, managing to shake some glitter off her pants. It didn't go _far_ , but it was off her pants.

“Probably Johnathan,” Astra said after a thoughtful silence. “ _He's_ the one who actually did the thing.”

“You have to admit, then throwing handfuls of glitter at each other was _slightly_ better than the strained silence or snapping comments,” Charri said after a moment. “They do have their issues, don't they?”

“They _really_ do,” Anna sighed. “Trevor, stop batting at it. We can deal with it later, just make sure it stays out of your eyes.”

“Deal with is _how_?” he demanded.

“Same as we did last time,” Sypha said with a tolerant sigh. “Though I hope the Tepes's forgive us for all the glitter we're going to track into the car...”

-

Adrian looked at Johnathan. Johnathan looked at the ground.

“There are _easier_ ways to pick a fight,” he finally said. “Dumping a bottle of glitter on me was unnecessary.”

“I....” Johnathan had the grace to look embarrassed at least. “Okay. That was... too far.”

“...that said, Trevor didn't need to mix them in a bowl and dump it on your head,” and Adrian sighed, fingering his glittery locks with a grimace. “We're certainly going to be the talk of _this_ visitors day... For the next few years, I expect...”

“And that's the important part, isn't it?”

Adrian slanted Johnathan a look, then sighed.

“Believe it or not, I don't enjoy the spotlight of attention, Johnathan,” he said quietly. “Being a novelty, at the center of everything is.... exhausting.”

“You jumped right back into it when _they_ asked.”

“...I did,” And Adrian sighed, moving to sit on the bench and tried not to grimace at the amount of glitter he was shedding. Hopefully someone would know how to get it all off, otherwise they'd be finding glitter for _months_... “They needed a capable member of the Alterra board. I.... mistakenly thought I could be that person. They had saved me from dying alone, I wanted to do... _anything_ they needed. Anything I could.”

Johnathan's hands curled into fists, and then, to Adrian's surprise, relaxed again.

“You barely sent.... _one_ missive...”

Adrian sighed, hanging his head a little. This was not the place he'd have chosen for this particular talk, but at least.... at least Johnathan _was_ talking. Not snapping, not biting... resentful, yes, but _trying_ to be civil. How could he not respond?

“I wish I could say it was because I didn't want to interrupt your lives, but truthfully... I was a coward. You had all had... a decade to mourn and move on. Move beyond me. I was scared to look at the people I once knew and see... strangers. What I wanted...” He couldn't say the words very loud. It was a struggle to say them at all. “What I wanted was to come _home._ Or... to what I thought was home. I hoped that... with those three to help me, I could find my place, or make it. Obviously, I failed very hard at all of it...”

“No kidding,” Johnathan snorted a little, and Adrian looked up to see a familiar glare.... but somehow it was less harsh. “Your choice of stand-in-mom didn't do her job very well.”

He sat up a little, stung on Anna's behalf.

“ _Anna_ did the best she could within the limits she had,” he said, temper adding intensity to his words. “ _I_ was the one who didn't give her the necessary information so that she _could_ make sure I didn't fall down. And she is _not_ a stand-in for Mother. Anna is my _wife_. They are _part_ of the family, not _replacements_ for you! I could never-”

The idea was preposterous. _Insulting_ , even, and Adrian stood up, sluggish temper igniting.

“I have tried, for months, to be understanding,” he said sharply. “Letting you be angry at me for events I could not control because, quite frankly, I felt your feelings were justified. But those three _saved my life_ , Johnathan. Without them I _would not_ have come back. It's very likely that I wouldn't even be here to _argue_ with you if they had taken a few more days in their search. Do I love them? _Undeniably_. I would put my life on the line for any of them, and I _did_ put my mental health at rick because they needed that from me. But they do not, _cannot,_ replace you, Mother, or Father, and I heavily resent the fact that you think I would be so crass as to do something _that_ cruel.”

Johnathan stared at him, startled at last out of his anger. Adrian made himself take a deep breath, and did his best to try and relax; this was bound to show up on Anna's data pad if he wasn't careful, and while he adored her, this was something he needed to say without her. Without _any_ of them.

“You are my brother, but I don't know who you've become Johnathan, and frankly, I am tired of bearing the brunt of your anger. Talk to a therapist. Decide if your hurt feelings are _really_ so important as to throw away what we used to have. I would like to have my younger brother again, or at least be able to hold a civil conversation with you that doesn't involve you biting at me, or the people I love, about whatever slight you feel you've been given. And if you feel we can't have even that, the I will accept that choice too, and leave you alone.”

Without waiting for a response—not sure he could handle whatever Johnathan might say—Adrian turned and went to find the others.

His parents were likely still trying to apologize enough that they _didn't_ get firmly escorted out of the camp, and he vaguely remembered Eliza saying she would escort the two children off to get some snack before he and Johnathan had been escorted to the counselors 'quiet corner' to dump some glitter and their tempers...

It was with some relief that he rounded a corner and caught sight of Trevor. Tallest in the group meant that he was the easiest one to find, and Adrian headed directly for him. In Trevor's shadow stood Anna, whose attention was focused on her data pad. She looked up and spotted him, and he felt his heart jump at the smile she flashed; relief, and pleasure to see him, though both emotions faded quickly into concern. He changed trajectory slightly as she moved towards him, staggering a little; the emotional after-effects of snapping at Johnathan were starting to catch up.

He didn't collapse on her, at least, but he did wrap around her; he didn't care too much about the glitter in her hair, he just pressed his face to her head and breathed shakily. Her arms wrapped around him immediately, and after a moment he felt Trevor's as well, helping to hold him up as much as giving him a much needed bracing hug.

“Adrian?” Anna's voice was soft, vibrating with worry.

“...I believe I need to leave now,” he replied unhappily. “I just... Could we?”

“Of course,” she said, and her hands rubbed gently along his back. “We can go back to the house and get all the glitter off.”

His fingers curled in her shirt, and he swallowed hard, pushing back against the burn of tears.

“T-Trevor and... Sypha could stay,” he managed. “If they want to.”

“....I mean, yeah, we could, and Sy'd probably like to, but we stick together,” Trevor said, his voice a somewhat gruff rumble in Adrian's ear. “You need a cuddlepile, I think.”

“...everything okay over here?”

Adrian lifted his head a little at Charri's voice, gentle and sympathetic.

“...no,” he said honestly. “I'm afraid I have... over-extended myself...”

“I can tell,” and they shook their head a little. “You and your brother have a lot to work out, don't you?”

“....yes.”

“Well, I'll tell 'Liza and your folks. Do you need some help getting to your car?”

“No, thank you.”

“I'll ping Sypha,” Trevor said, easing back from Adrian for a moment. “She and Astra went to try and wash off some of the glitter. Though... how's this going to work? We all came in the same vehicle...”

And if they got in it, the seats would be covered in glitter...

“I'm sure they won't mind,” Anna said softly. “I'll send Lisa a message, and we'll send the car back for them once we're at the house. Okay?”

Adrian nodded, closing his eyes and leaned on her a little more.

-

Getting the glitter off enough so that they weren't trailing it everywhere had taken the better part of twenty minutes, and a _lot_ of oil. Adrian hadn't shut down _all_ the way, but Anna was taking no chances; she'd insisted that he shower with Trevor, just in case he slipped, while she'd shared with Sypha. It helped to have another person working the oil out of long hair at that, and while she suspected Adrian might have gotten some comfort out of shower play, she was decidedly not in the mood.

Afterwards, Adrian had made his way to the couch instead of a bed, and they had followed; Anna settled on his lap once he sat down, Trevor sat on his left, and Sypha on the right. Adrian hadn't said anything, but when he was enveloped by their arms, he bowed his head a little, and the tears he'd so clearly been holding back since he'd met up with them again at the camp rained down on Anna's shoulder.

It felt rather like grief as much as catharsis, but Adrian hadn't told them what had passed between him and Johnathan. Anna wasn't sure he _could_ , really, and she wasn't sure she could blame him for that.

The tears eventually ran out, and Adrian straightened slowly, lifting one hand to rub at his neck with a pained grimace.

“...the perils of a short wife,” Anna offered tentatively.

It got a fleeting ghost of a smile from him, and snorts of amusement from the other two.

“Better?” Trevor asked.

“...some,” And Adrian sighed a little, pressing his head lightly first to Trevor's then Sypha's before he leaned back to stretch it out. “I suppose I needed to say all of that, but now I feel.... guilty.”

“Finally chewed him out for being a little punk?”

The words were said genially, but Anna felt Adrian flinch and gently shoved at Trevor with her foot.

“Be nice. It's a lot more complicated than that, Trevor.”

“Yeah yeah,” Trevor sighed a little. “Isn't it always? It'd be nice if it was _simple_ for once.”

“Humans aren't simple creatures when it comes to emotions,” Sypha said dryly. “We're complicated and messy, and occasionally really stupid.”

Adrian made a sound that was almost a laugh, and Anna gently nuzzled up under his chin. His arms tightened briefly in response, and relaxed slowly, when all she did was press closer.

“Want to talk about it?”

“....not... necessarily, but... I suppose I should. If only to avoid Trevor deciding he really does want to punch my brother.”

Trevor snorted.

“Hey, I already did decide that, but I haven't because I'm a good boyfriend who is trying not to start shit.”

Sypha sighed, but Anna giggled a little, and Adrian made a faintly amused noise, briefly freeing a hand to put at Trevor gently.

“I wanted to... try and talk to him with Mother or Father around to mediate, I admit,” Adrian said after a long moment. “Not alone. We would both watch our words better, I think, if we were not alone. But... Well, they went off to apologize to the counselors, and we were left to a quiet corner. And we could not completely ignore each other, so we... spoke.”

“Not a good talk?” Sypha asked gently when Adrian's voice faltered.

“It.... I am afraid I lost my temper,” he admitted wearily. “He spoke of Anna as though she was a replacement for Mother, and I... it's not only incorrect, it's _insulting_. And I lashed out.”

“...the data pad was registering the increased heart rate, among other things,” Anna said after a moment, lightly brushing her fingers over the medical monitor he wore under his shirt. “I was getting worried...”

“Hang on... you were insulted because he compared Anna to your mom?” Trevor asked, confused.

“No, I...” Adrian rubbed his face for a moment. “The implication was that I was using you three to replace them. It's... admittedly possible he meant Sypha, not Anna, but...”

“I don't know, Anna makes a good Mom Friend too,” Sypha teased gently.

Anna made a face at their girlfriend in reply, which only made Sypha giggle.

“Do people _do_ that?” Trevor asked.

“Sometimes the family you find is better than the family you're born with,” Anna replied. “You know that.”

“I... yeah. Admittedly not that I got much _choice_ in the matter, but...”

Trevor shrugged after a minute and looked away, uncomfortable. Adrian just sighed after a moment, shaking his head gently.

“I... told him I was tired of bearing the brunt of his anger, and to go talk to a therapist. To... to _decide_ how important this anger and hurt at me is, and if it's worth not ever having a relationship again.” His breath caught, and Anna snuggled close as his fingers curled again in her shirt. “I _want_ my little brother back, but.... but I will accept whatever choice he makes in regards to repairing, or eliminating, our relationship.”

“....at least you've said something,” Sypha said after a long moment. “I was starting to wonder if you ever would, honestly.”

“Yes, well... I was hoping to have it be a little more civil than an ultimatum.”

“It may be that an ultimatum was what he needed to hear,” Anna said quietly. “Part of him is.... is like me. Hurt by the perceived abandonment of someone he adored. Even knowing it wasn't voluntary...”

“...you spoke on the topic?”

She sighed a little, and nuzzled his shoulder softly.

“Not as such. I told him he was being childish, and not thinking about the situation from anyone else's perspective,” she admitted. “It seemed to get through to him, at least a little.... So maybe you did too.”

“...Perhaps. It's more likely that I... I drove him away.”

“Hush,” Sypha said firmly, briefly squeezing them both. “We won't know anything until Johnathan decides what he's going to do, and you needed to say _something_. Letting him be angry at you wasn't working, and I don't think civil would have worked either.”

“....she has a point,” Anna said reluctantly. “He's... he seemed _stuck_ until I snapped at him. Like everything he was seeing was coming through a filter of what he _thought_ it should be, instead of what it really was. And biting was the only way to snap that filter, and make it so that he could see what he was really doing.”

Adrian let out a shuddery sigh, and nuzzled both of them.

“...I'm-”

“If your next word is 'sorry', don't,” Trevor said firmly. “You didn't do anything you need to apologize for, damnit. Shit happened, and it sucks, and Mina's probably going to be cranky about it, but we can deal with that later. Right _now_ , we are cuddling, and cuddling is good. Yes?”

“....yes.”

“Okay then.”

Anna rolled her eyes a little, but Adrian relaxed subtly, yawning after a moment.

“Naptime?” she asked.

“....I think so, yes. You don't...”

“Yeah we do,” Trevor huffed a little. “I can always watch stuff on my data pad if I get bored, and you need it. _Both_ of you need it.”

Anna was hard pressed to argue with that; she wasn't _as_ tired as Adrian at the moment, but she was still worn from the press of people, and the stress of the day.

“So,” and Sypha smiled a little. “Let's go nap.”

-

It was hard to find a fairly private section of the beach at the lake at summer's height, but Adrian had to admit that Trevor had found a rather good spot just the same. Of course, _Trevor_ was also able to lay out in the sun and bake like a potato, while he was stuck in the shade of a borrowed umbrella, feeling admittedly a bit bored.

That said, boredom was something of a welcome feeling after the stress of the past few days; apparently he'd been brooding and agonizing about what he'd said to Johnathan enough to annoy Trevor into dragging him out of the house with the idea being that he simply Do Something. Even something as simple as get a change of scenery.

Naturally, he'd done this at a time when both women were otherwise occupied downstairs. Anna had finally decided she wanted a riotous flower garden in her indoor greenhouse, and Sypha had agreed to help with planting. Trevor had just shouted down the stairs that they were going out, and to have fun digging in the dirt.

Adrian sighed a little, casting a fondly irritated glance at his boyfriend. He wasn't _dressed_ for a day at the lake, which was a shame, because now that they were here, swimming sounded like a good idea. The pool was nice, but the lake was.... cooler, perhaps. Or maybe it was just less chemical-y. There was a little bit of natural pruning done in every season, but a pool needed much more than that to remain viable for use...

“You could have at least let me grab a wetsuit,” he complained lightly.

“That would have given the girls time to come and see what I was up to,” Trevor replied without opening his eyes. “Anna would have gotten _picky_ about it.”

“She has reason to be particular, Trevor.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes you just have to go and do things. Since _you're_ not spontaneous like that, it's my job to do the thing. You guys are going to be so much more boring after we leave.”

Adrian looked away, drawing his legs up to his chest.

“I wish you wouldn't,” he said finally.

“What, be impulsive and spontaneous?”

“...no, idiot. _Leave_.”

Now Trevor propped himself up a bit, squinting at him a little.

“You were on board with the idea when it first came up,” he pointed out.

“That was before everything came apart in so dramatic a manner,” Adrian replied dryly. “And I realized that I was leaning so hard on Anna that it knocked her over.”

“....I mean, she helped?”

“Not quite _my_ point, but you do have one of your own...”

“Is this about that... uh... whatever it was Anna was fussing about back when you were still way more vulnerable?”

Adrian huffed an amused sigh. It never failed to amaze him how Trevor could live with a doctor and still manage to avoid picking up clinical terminology. He'd never been able to manage that.

“Fixation and co-dependency,” he supplied. “And yes, a little. The circle of people I can trust to keep me steady keeps... _shrinking_. Anna will break herself to pieces trying to keep me whole, but that's part of the problem...”

“So.... why don't you just come with us on the first ship, then?” Trevor asked. “I mean, I know the idea was we could stagger our arrivals, and the stuff, but we don't _have_ to. We'll just keep you and Johnathan apart, and I can still drop his sorry ass down in your base for a week.... we just don't mention that part to, uh, _anyone_.”

Adrian chuckled softly as Trevor sat up the rest of the way, absently brushing sand off his skin.

“Seriously, don't, Anna will eat me alive and wear my skin as a cape,” Trevor said with a faint grimace. “And I mean, if you want to stay here for the rest of the lease, well, we can just go on the second ship instead.”

“That would be somewhat counterproductive, since someone who knows the planet is supposed to be on the ship to.... mm... _direct_ people properly,” Adrian said dryly. “Someone who is also included as one of the main claimants of the planet.”

“Which is us four, because fuck Alterra,” Trevor said with a solemn nod.

“....yes. Though also, please don't. Much as I dislike them, they _are_ part of the charter and their good will is unfortunately necessary. Or at least, their tools.”

Trevor snickered a little, and shrugged.

“So?”

“...so it's a good idea,” Adrian said after a moment. “But we should talk it over with Anna and Sypha first. If they're agreed—and you realize this is going to be the second garden I've interrupted, yes?—then we take it to my father. They'll likely have to step up talking to the military force so that we have protection from pirates on the way out...”

“Why? We didn't have that when we were going to install a phase gate.”

“Because we're not building a phase gate, we're beginning a scientific study, with the hopes of carefully colonizing the planet. Pirates tend to congregate towards that because colonies are an _investment_. Phase gate building just makes life easier for them to spread out more.”

“Oh. Huh.”

Trevor frowned a little, then half-shrugged.

“Okay. So we talk to the girls, we talk to your old man, and we call it good?”

“....well, then we might come back out here when I have my wetsuit so I can swim while you continue to make yourself as brown as Anna,” Adrian teased gently, reaching over and shoving Trevor lightly. “And we bring the girls. If it goes as quickly as you're assuming.”

“Hey, Sypha and Anna know good ideas when they hear it,” Trevor said, shoving gently back. “You'll see. We won't have to work too hard to convince them.”

-

Anna blinked. Looked from Adrian to Trevor to Sypha, then tipped her head slightly.

“You know, you have terrible timing, Trevor,” Sypha complained, propping her hands on her hips. “Some of these flowers grow fast, but not _that_ fast! We've got the wedding in a month, and then we leave two weeks after!”

“I know, I know, but you have to admit, no one was really on board with splitting up anyways,” he pointed out. “We just did it because it sounded like a sensible option at the time.”

“He has a point,” Anna admitted. “It made sense when we first came up with it because Adrian's therapy, and... my therapy needed to continue, while you two were otherwise mentally stable. But...”

She nibbled her lower lip, looking at them again. Adrian's mental state was in flux, but so was hers, and frankly while she would have loved the time for it to be _just_ her and Adrian, she was sensible enough to know that the ramifications, with them both falling apart and trying not to, would not be good.

“So you agree that it's a good idea?” Trevor asked.

“Mm... I'm agreeing with Sypha that you have some terrible timing, though.”

Trevor snickered a little.

“I can live with that. We can probably take over one of the small hydroponics bays on the ship?”

“...let's not,” Anna said with a grimace. “I want to be frivolous, not sensible, and hydroponics needs to be sensible just on principle.”

“Well, if we arrange it right, we could get a small grow bed in a cabin?” Sypha said after a moment. “And we'll be on the ship for a year at the least, even with the newest phase gate out in the fringes.”

“Father... did mention that someone in his labs was experimenting with wall-based grow beds,” Adrian offered after a moment. “We could always test it for them. Or just do things the old fashioned way, with pots and grow-lights.”

Anna couldn't help but smile.

“You're all ridiculous, I hope you know,” she informed them, unable to deny the warmth their concern was causing. “ _Utterly_ ridiculous.”

Trevor grinned a little.

“Yup. Isn't that the point of being good family?”

“Absolutely,” Sypha said with a firm nod. “So, since we're agreed on our nonsense, what's the next step?”

“....the somewhat unpalatable one of informing my father that we're all leaving strictly sooner than planned,” Adrian admitted after a moment. “I don't _think_ he'll be perturbed, but....”

“But you feel like you're disappointing your blood-relations by saying you're leaving early?” Sypha offered.

“...yes. We had... plans, you know. I was looking forward to winter, too.... I have missed the snow,” and his tone was wistful.

“But at this point, I think we should _all_ own up to the fact that we're an all-or-nothing team,” Trevor said firmly. “We can all go off and do our own stuff, but we have to stick together on the same planet, at least.”

Anna chuckled a little, half-shrugging.

“He does have a point. It's something of a novelty,” she teased gently.

Trevor promptly reached over and messed up her hair.

-

“ _Well, it does make a sound sense,_ ” Vlad said, with a thoughtful frown. “ _I had wondered how you and Anna would get on without the other two, admittedly._ ”

Adrian sighed a little; even his own father had suspected that it was a bad idea to split up! It was slightly aggravating to realize that only he and Anna had thought it might be possible...

“I know it's not what we'd planned, but...”

“ _It's workable,_ ,” Vlad replied, smiling now. “ _We'll bring around the ship captains in the next couple weeks so that you know who you'll be working with, both from our ship, and whomever the military is assigning as our scouts and guard. Also, I feel I must inform you that Alterra is making noises about being allowed to research as well._ ”

Now Adrian made a face.

“We need several years worth to set up,” he said tartly. “They can damn well wait their turn.”

Vlad laughed.

“ _I very diplomatically suggested that they wait to receive an invitation, and yes, they will get one, but it will be at_ our _discretion, not their insistence,_ ” he replied. “ _I don't think they'll take the hint, Alterra isn't known for that, but at the least they should calm down for a few weeks before getting pushy again. Hopefully by that point, you'll all be well on your way and I can tell them I am deferring that decision to my sons, who will not be planetside for at least a year._ ”

It hurt to think of Johnathan, to wonder and worry about what he'd said, and how unfair it was. But he smiled anyways, because that was a very neat bit of diplomatic 'fuck you' his father had arranged.

“If they splutter, I want to know about it,” he said.

“ _Happily. Unfortunately, I'm out of time to talk. We'll be seeing you next week?_ ”

“For Mother's dinner, yes,” and Adrian nodded. “Thank you, Father.”

Vlad nodded, and the call ended. Adrian leaned back a little in his chair and let out a tired sigh, then glanced over at Anna who had remained quiet and watchful the whole time.

“....do you think Johnathan and I will be able to have a civil conversation?”

Anna tipped her head a little, then shrugged a bit helplessly.

“Your brother's not much like you, Adrian,” she said after a moment. “You tend to automatically look outside yourself for information, and collect the insights of other people. Johnathan seems to rely only on his own, on what he sees and learns for himself. It may be that between the two of us snapping, he'll be shaken from that and willing to try a little harder. Or he may double down on his stubbornness, and it'll be basically for nothing, I don't know.”

He moved to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and snuggling.

“It's all right,” he murmured, nuzzling at her as she curled her arms around him. “I didn't mean to make you anxious, darling. I suppose I am just....”

He wasn't quite sure what the right word was, honestly. But he squeezed her gently, then stood, tugging her with.

“Come, let's dress for the lake date before Trevor and Sypha finish with their idea of a picnic,” he urged. “We can try and put all thoughts out of our mind except for some fun. Yes?”

She let out a breath, then nodded.

“We can certainly try.”

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

I admit, now that we're agreed to stay together, my mind is easing. I will see Atlantis soon, I will see it with them in a _benign_ manner—well, outside the various leviathan class creatures—and I won't have to worry about leaning so hard on Anna that she shatters again.

It helps as well to know that she snapped at Johnathan and told him he was being childish about this whole thing. Emotions aren't... logical, and I know that it did her no favors, but perhaps she is right and our similar scolds will break through the wall he's been throwing in my face.

I still wish I could have addressed the topic more... gently. I took little care with how bruised he must be feeling and the perceptions he's had.

Father says that we will be meeting the captains of the ships the week before the wedding. It will be good to know the names and faces of these people though... I hope Father will make it clear that they look to Johnathan for orders, not me.

Please, not me.

Personal log, Anna Torres

It's... really kind of amusing how they got all focused on the plants. But there is something soothing about putting all my spare, jittery energy into a creative pursuit that I can watch grow, instead of staring at imperfections.

Adrian still says he wants to teach me how to sketch. I think I'll let him, but not while we're here, planetside. There's much to do if we're leaving in a month and a half.

….oddly, I'm excited more than I am nervous. I know the trip out will still be long, and there's still a chance for everything to go sour, but... But the more I think about it, the more calm I feel. I think Adrian's right. We _are_ finally going home.


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven

Anna flailed a little, and grabbed at Adrian's arm with a squeak as the skates threatened to slide out from under her. He caught her and steadied her, putting an arm around her waist even as he held himself still with the toe stop.

“It's all right,” he said, doing his best to keep the laughter out of his voice as she clung to him. “I've got you.”

“It is _not_ all right,” she grumbled, clutching at his arm as the skates moved under her. “I am going to fall again!”

Amused, he kissed her cheek gently.

“Well, if you do, I can help you up.”

It was honestly a bit entertaining; Trevor had taken to the roller skates with no troubles, and after a few near-falls, Sypha seemed to have gotten the hang of them well enough that she could at least keep up with her fiance. Anna, though? They had been at this for almost an hour and she still didn't seem to trust that she could find her balance with some practice.

In short, his darling wife was completely uncoordinated in the skates, and it was kind of cute. Okay, it was _really_ cute, but he was quite sure if he said it, she would go off and sulk.

“Just get some momentum going Anna,” Trevor teased as he slid by. “Standing still won't help you~”

She glared after him, and Adrian was quite sure that if they had not been in a rink with children around them, she might have said something quite rude at her cousin.

“We could take a break?” Adrian offered after a minute. “Working at something while frustrated with it won't help...”

“I'll get this,” she said stubbornly. “I just- _yeep!_ ”

Trevor, sliding by again, had decided to take matters into his own hands. He caught the arm she'd just extended carefully in a bid for balance and started pulling her along, ignoring her vehement protests. And since Adrian had her other one and the only way to avoid either a benign tug of war or _someone_ falling on their ass was to go along with it, well, he did.

Which did not improve Anna's mood in the _slightest_ , but it was plain that Trevor's idea had merit. Once she was _moving_ , her balance was more centered, more certain.

Trevor grinned at them both over his shoulder.

“See? Not so hard after all!”

“Remember you said that when she figures out how to stop,” Adrian replied, since Anna was clinging to both of them. “I'm quite sure you'll not survive her retaliation.”

Trevor only laughed, and let go of Anna's hand, leaving Adrian to tow her along the rink again. Anna flailed a little with the loss of her ballast, but Adrian kept up the speed, and she found balance again, though she was hesitent to actually propel herself along.

“Keep the skates on the ground,” Adrian said, carefully pulling her closer so that he was more in control of their turns. “Just shift your weight gently from side to side, Anna, I've got you.”

“...murder him...”

Adrian snickered a little, half-shrugging gently.

“I'm sure you will, but first you have to be able to _catch_ him, don't you? Gently now, push with me.”

He watched her carefully, steering them both around the other obstacles in the rink as Trevor continued to circle easily, sometimes with, sometimes without Sypha tagging at his heels. It was, he realized, rather like her stumbling block about dancing. She had to stop feeling like it was something she _had_ to do for someone else, and find the fun in the rhythm of it.

So he tugged her off to the side, out of the rink, and elected to sit on one of the padded benches. She sat next to him without fuss, though it was clear she was still feeling grumpy about the whole affair.

“Children can skate,” she muttered, leaning against him as he draped his arm around her.

“Children are less afraid of falling down,” he replied gently. “Unlike adults who think they must gain a skill quickly, children don't care. They fall down, they get back up and try again, even if they look foolish. Well,” he amended quickly as she looked up at him with a narrow stare, “ _most_ children. And we both know that _Trevor_ doesn't seem to care when he's acting like a fool~”

Trevor had progressed to skating backwards, though it looked more like he was simply letting his momentum carry him on instead of actually figuring out the trick to it. Sypha... he winced a little in sympathy, then pointed discreetly. Anna followed his focus and winced a little herself as Sypha slipped and fell again, shaking a fist in mock annoyance as Trevor glided past.

“See? Not even Sypha's perfect.”

“...but _you_ are...”

Adrian chuckled and kissed her temple gently.

“I've had lessons, darling,” he reminded her. “I don't remember them, admittedly, but I've been told that one of the first things Mother did when I was coordinated enough to walk was have me learn to skate and swim. Muscle memory means the skills come back a little easier to me. I am your anomaly~”

She snorted a little, and elbowed him gently, then leaned her head on his shoulder as he comfortably hugged her close.

“It's entirely not fair that Trevor picked it up so quickly...”

“Some people are like that, darling,” and he gave her another little kiss. “He _is_ a very physical person. I figured either he'd get the hang of it, or he'd end up on his rear for half the session. Admittedly, I was hoping for the latter.”

 _That_ made her giggle, and she nestled against him softly.

“...so you think I'm trying _too_ hard?” she finally asked.

“Mmm... a little,” he admitted. “It's like dancing, my light. Once you started to have fun with it, your own ability shone through.”

Anna blushed a little, ducking her head a bit and he snuggled her fondly.

“It's all right if you don't get it here and now,” he said with gentle amusement. “We can come back and try again on another day off.”

“....there aren't many left,” Anna reminded him.

“No, but there's enough. ….oh dear.”

She looked up then covered her mouth with both hands as Trevor, who had been skating backwards and forgetting about other people, tripped as someone skated across his path, flailed rather comically for a moment, then hit the barrier.

“....and even Trevor is not as coordinated as he thinks he is.”

Anna ducked her head and burst into giggles.

-

“At least you didn't flip over the railing,” Sypha said as she applied a cool wrap to the dramatically large bruise on Trevor's back. “I thought you were going to there for a moment!”

Trevor just groaned a little, not entirely theatrical. Anna couldn't blame him, admittedly, he'd hit the railing hard enough to crack four ribs, not to mention smacking his head on the metal rail as he'd gone down.

“This is what happens when you show off,” she said, torn between amusement and sympathy. “At least you didn't break anything, but you'll need a few days to recover from that.”

“I am _never_ going to live this down, am I?”

“No, probably not,” Adrian said with a small chuckle, patting Trevor gently on the head. “But I must admit, if you had to crash, that was certainly a spectacular one.”

Trevor made a slight, rude gesture that had all of them snickering.

“How many days?” he asked after a minute.

“Probably three or four,” Anna replied. “They're not broken, but cracked ribs aren't pleasant to work around, Trevor. And you're so _physical_ , it's entirely too likely that you'd actually break something. Considering there's three weeks to the wedding, and five til we leave, that would be.... annoying. At best.”

“Aww, we could get an auto-doc to fix it,” he protested.

“You'd still have to heal from it,” she said with a tolerant eye roll, settling down in front of the couch with popcorn. “Six weeks is the _minimum_ for a natural healing; an auto-doc fix won't change that.”

He grumbled a little, then winced as Sypha very gently batted his head.

“Quit arguing with the family doctor, Trevor,” she scolded fondly. “I'll take three or four days of rest over six weeks, especially since my family is going to start coming in the next three.”

Anna was glad Sypha wasn't looking at her; she couldn't quite keep herself from the small grimace. It wasn't that she didn't like the Belnades clan; she did. Rather a lot, especially Sypha's calm grandfather. But on a whole, they were a somewhat noisy, _rowdy_ bunch, and that tended to make her nervous.

Adrian squeezed her hand gently in understanding, leaning against her softly. She leaned back and let out a small breath.

“Fine, fine,” Trevor said, and she felt him start to shrug, wince, and abandon the movement halfway. “Nn... But there's gotta be things I can do that _aren't_ going to be me sitting on someone, or being bored stiff.”

“We'll find something,” Adrian said dryly. “Because otherwise _you'll_ be the one getting sat upon, and that would probably be counter-productive.”

“Juuuust a little,” Anna murmured.

“In any case, tonight is movies~ Since Trevor ruined the initial plan by his ever so graceful crash,” Sypha said with a grin.

“Hey, I was doing _awesome_ until that kid tried to murder me,” he complained half-jokingly.

“You were showing off, you mean,” Anna replied dryly, reaching back to poke him gently in the shoulder. “And being a brat about it too. Of course karma would bite you for it.”

Trevor heaved a dramatic sigh, then reached over her shoulder and stole some popcorn.

-

“You know, I have to admit, I didn't expect an ocean tour to be something he'd want to do,” Adrian said, glancing sideways as Trevor leaned against the railing, pointing something out to Anna who shaded her eyes with one hand and followed his gaze. “Are we getting _your_ honeymoon destinations out of the way before we all leave?”

Sypha grinned a little.

“Maybe,” she said after a minute, stifling a laugh as an over-exuberant wave splashed up and doused both cousins. “I just wanted to see a little more of this planet before we have to leave it. It's a shame you're so adamant about not coming back...”

Adrian looked down at the verdant green of the water, rubbing the tip of his nose after a moment.

“I would love to be able to come back,” he admitted quietly. “But I am.... I suppose sensible enough to know that further ship travel is not in my best interest. We must be one a large ship to reach Atlantis, and I can manage that because... I will be going _home._ But. Leaving....”

After a moment he just shook his head.

“It's okay,” Sypha said, patting his arm gently. “We all knew this was only a temporary stop on the way back.”

Adrian nodded a little, then looked up at the sky for a moment before electing to retreat back to the shade of the overhanging deck. A chair there called his name and he settled onto it with a small sigh of relief.

“I sometimes wonder if we shouldn't have ignored Alterra completely, and instead come here first,” he admitted when Sypha joined him. “Would it have been better, could I have lasted _longer_....”

He sighed again, and rubbed his face briefly, tiredly. If he had done things differently...

“I don't think it really matters,” Sypha said thoughtfully. “You'd always have wanted to go back, I think, and pretending you didn't wouldn't be helpful to anyone. And staying for _us_ would have just made it worse, you know. It would have come to light eventually, except we would have had to work around Alterra, and whatever else we'd brought into this life before then.”

“...like children.”

Sypha blushed a little, and half-smiled with a small shrug.

“Like that, yes. Can you imagine Trevor as a father?~”

Adrian chuckled a little.

“He would be the most permissive of all of us, I think,” he said dryly. “The eventual children will just run all over him.”

Sypha grinned.

“It'll be cute though~ Pretending to lose the wrestling matches, and being piled on by a group of littles~ Besides, if they need firm, I'm sure we can cover that.” She paused a moment, then amended, “Well, you and I could probably handle that. Anna's likely to be just as permissive as Trevor may be. Not that I could blame either one of them...”

“Nor I,” Adrian said, and his gaze flicked over tot he cousins again, wondering what they were discussing so animatedly. Or maybe Trevor was teasing her again because Anna was looking moderately annoyed. “Though I suppose we'll have to wait several more years now, all things considered,”

“I don't mind,” Sypha replied with a small grin. “I like having it be just us. Don't you?”

“Mmm... I do,” he said with a small nod. “But I admit to some curiosity in regards to us as parents...”

And how those children would be carried. The uterine replication machine was widespread and arguably a safer option for many people who wished to have children. But there were still some who preferred to carry the child the old fashioned way. Which way would the two women in his life choose to have their children...?

After a moment he gave himself a mental shake; that was not a question he needed to ask, or get an answer to for some time yet, and ultimately, it would be up to them in any case.

“Well, it's still going to be... what, a year, year and a half after we hit that last phase gate?” Sypha asked.

“Roughly, I believe,” he agreed with a small nod. “And a ship is no place to have infants or toddlers. Though I have heard mention of ship pets before?”

Sypha laughed a little, half-shrugging.

“I've seen lots, I admit. Mostly small animals; fish, or rodents. There _was_ a couple rumors of space cats or dogs, but they weren't allowed on the Aurora. Admittedly, I'm glad of that now... They would have either been killed in the crash, or died of the kharaa.”

Her cheerful smile dimmed, and Adrian reached over to put a hand on her knee, then nodded a little in the direction of Anna and Trevor when she looked up.

“Someone seems to have gotten himself into trouble again,” he said lightly. “Perhaps a rescue would not go amiss?”

Sypha looked over, then snorted a little as Trevor held up his hands defensively. Or perhaps he was trying to de-escalate the situation. Either way, he appeared to be on the losing end of the conversation.

“I don't know, he could stand a good scolding every now and again that's not from me,” she said comfortably. “I don't think they stick any better when she bites him, but at least she _does_...”

“....personally, I prefer her biting me,” and Adrian grinned at Sypha's startled expression. “Not _verbally,_ however.”

She blinked, then snorted, and reached over to shove him gently. He snickered a little, and shrugged slightly; it was true, he rather did like carrying the bite marks Anna gave when he'd riled her up enough during their times of indulgence.

“That said, I do like seeing the sides she was hiding,” he continued. “Or trying to hide, at least. It's still hard to convince her there's no harm in expressing the negative emotions, but... well, we're working on it. For both of us.”

“I think you're both doing better,” Sypha said with a small, encouraging smile. “And like I said, maybe we're not going to _always_ get your real feelings on the matter, but if you do it often _enough_ , so that you don't fall apart, that's really the goal, isn't it?”

Adrian thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. Because in the end it wasn't so much that they didn't communicate _well,_ as it was that they were still sometimes communicating the wrong _things_. Because Anna worried about being a burden, even though she was the farthest thing from it, and he still sometimes felt that if he said, or did, the wrong thing, they would all walk away and he would find himself waking from a particularly long, lucid dream...

Adrian shuddered a little, and briefly rubbed at his face, then jumped slightly when Sypha rested a hand on his leg.

“We're here,” she said gently. “Come on. Let's go join them before Trevor gets shoved over the railing into the water. Anna's looking actively annoyed now.”

He blinked a little, glanced in that direction, then nodded, and got to his feet.

-

“....I didn't think you'd call.”

“ _I didn't think I_ wanted _to..._ ”

Adrian glanced uncertainly sideways; Trevor's eyes were narrowed in wary concern, while Sypha looked like she'd just bit a sour pickleberry. Anna's expression was the most inscrutable... as though she was keeping herself back from influencing him. After a moment, Adrian returned his attention to the screen, let out a slow breath, then tipped his head inquiringly.

“So then... why did you?”

Johnathan grimaced a little, looking away.

“ _Astra also thinks I'm being an ass, and... I guess maybe you're all.... You've got a point. It's..._ ” Johnathan grimaced again, this time running a hand through his dark hair, a move Adrian recognized as one his father used when he was trying to speak without actively insulting someone. “ _I'm pissed off. And what happened wasn't your fault. You've been... annoyingly gracious even. About my shit. So._ ”

Adrian waited patiently. Johnathan as a child had been ever impulsive, and a bit reckless. His words hadn't been carefully chosen, but it was clear that the man he was now was trying.

And he should try too. He didn't need that small nudge from Anna to tell him that... but it did help.

“So... perhaps we should sit down and try to speak. Face to face. With... Mother or Father there to make sure we don't start trying to beat each other up verbally.”

“ _Not physically?_ ”

There it was. The smallest quirk at the corner of Johnathan's mouth. Adrian huffed an amused noise.

“Trevor seems inclined to think a brawl will help, but... frankly the kharaa changed the density of my musculature, and I don't think our parents would be too happy if I caused you harm. Any more than my wife or datemates would if you landed a decent hit on me,” he added when Sypha kicked him lightly. “...and quite frankly, while you often elicited the desire to hit you as a child, that would not be the rational, adult way to handle things.”

Anna snorted a little, muttering under her breath in Spanish; Adrian elected to not translate, and going by Johnathan's expression, he'd only caught a couple words, and was torn between looking amused, and being insulted.

“ _Fine, fine, no punching. I think. I'll try? I've... got a full week, but... maybe the day after the dinner?_ ”

Adrian nodded a little. He could do that, or, well, they could try at least.

“Looking forward to said dinner?”

“ _Ugh, no. I'm still annoyed that everyone thinks this is a good idea, especially now that you_ are _coming on the ship. But. It could be worse. We'll meet the captains of the ship and the escorts, and Father will do that... thing, you know?_ ”

Adrian was unable to help the smile as his brother waved his hands, wiggling his fingers a little.

“I do. Mother and Father will charm them, and then we'll be left to try and keep it going. Which should be... interesting. I will, naturally, defer most of the questions to you,” and he gave Johnathan his best innocent smile, one that got snorts from Trevor and Sypha, and a sigh of resignation from Anna. “Since you're in charge and all.”

Johnathan blinked. Blinked again.

“ _Don't do that,_ ” he said finally. “ _You know who does that?_ Mina _does that, and I_ know _she didn't learn it from me._ ”

Adrian laughed softly.

“Well, she had to learn it from someone,” he teased carefully.

Johnathan huffed, then turned to look at something off screen.

“ _....yes, all right. Astra says hello, and also I have to go now before they attempt to eat my liver for making us late to date night._ ”

“...We'll see you at the dinner then. Enjoy your date~.”

Johnathan made a slight face, then the connection closed. Adrian leaned back a little in his chair, and breathed out a slow breath.

“Olive branch?” Trevor asked after a moment.

“....I think so, yes. We may never return to the siblings we were, but... but that was...”

He swallowed for a moment, then leaned into Anna when she wrapped her arms around him. It wouldn't be perfect, and they would likely always be a little bit on the stiff and formal side, but... but he still had a brother.

And that was enough.

-

“Remind me again why _we_ have to be there?” Trevor groused a little, tugging uneasily at the semi-formal jacket he'd been talked into wearing.

“Because Mother and Father want us known to the captains and their retinue,” Adrian replied patiently. “We may only interact with the one who will be in command of the ship, the... ah...”

“Plato,” Anna supplied without looking up.

“Plato?”

Anna tapped a few buttons on her pad, then turned it to show Trevor.

“Ancient philosopher, the reason we even have the word Atlantis as part of mythology,” she replied with a faintly wry smile. “No one's really sure what the actual Atlantis _was_ , but considering the lost alien race that was on 4546B studying the kharaa, it's a pretty good name. We certainly don't know what else we'll find, after all.”

“Still, why The Plato?”

“It's _just_ Plato, I believe,” Adrian replied dryly. “Not 'The Plato.' Though I could be wrong. And it's because everything we know, or think we know, about the fictional Atlantis, comes from that philosopher.”

“Okay, and we have to be dressed up _because_...”

“Because we're making an impression, now quite whining,” Sypha said, gently smacking his shoulder. “It's not your favorite thing to dress up, we know, but it's just for a few hours, and it's so that these people can get a look at us.”

Trevor subsided with a small grumble, and Anna leaned over to pat his shoulder. She was honestly with him; she didn't want to be dressed up, didn't want to be introduced to the captains... she wanted to be curled up on the couch with some tea, her husband, and they book he'd been reading to her the past few nights, just...

Relaxing.

It was such a _strange_ idea, to do something like that for the fun of it. Because it was comfortable and made her feel warm and safe. But she was trying to get better at it, trying to help _him_ get better at it, and somehow, reading to each other had become their thing. A small part of her wondered if Trevor and Sypha would enjoy it too... and then another part of her rebelled at the idea of sharing that space. She was sharing Adrian already, in multiple ways, with them... she rather wanted at least one thing that was theirs alone...

Adrian leaned lightly against her as the car turned, his cheek landing gently on her head.

“...I know,” he murmured. “I'm not sure I want to be here either. But we agreed, and it will be good to know the captains. And it will be better for the _captains_ to know that I _am_ deferring to Johnathan so they won't pester me with unnecessary questions. That would be counter-productive, after all.”

She had to smile a little, if uneasily. This felt like a gala, just on a smaller scale. _Much_ smaller, as they would be meeting...

“How many people _are_ supposed to be here?” Anna asked as the car made another turn, coming around the bend that his the Tepes house from easy view.

“We have two scouting ships, one deep-space dreadnought for major firepower, and two lesser grade ships as the obvious pirate bait,” Adrian replied, frowning a little. “Roughly.... maybe thirty people total, I think? Captains-or-commanders... whoever is in charge of the ships, and then a few of their administrative staff.”

“Ugh,” was Trevor's succinct opinion as the car began to slow.

“It's not as bad as a gala,” Sypha said after a moment. “Dinner and some... sort of hovering socialization?”

“Well, it will certainly be calmer,” Adrian replied, though Anna caught the smallest of flinches from him. Clearly he hadn't made the connection until Sypha had said something. “And not as long. Mother insists that Mina be kept to a normal bedtime hour, despite the season, so two, maybe three hours at most before we are all firmly shown the door.”

“Dibs on the hot tub when we get back,” Trevor said immediately.

“You're sharing,” Sypha said, elbowing him in the ribs with care.

“I mean _obviously_ , I'm just saying right now I've got first dibs.”

Anna rolled her eyes in tolerant amusement as Sypha scoffed at him gently, and slipped her arm though Adrian's to hold it gently.

“How can you have dibs on something when you're _sharing_?”

“Because I'm awesome and amazing like that?”

“...you're certainly _something_...”

Adrian's hand wrapped around hers, squeezing gently as Trevor and Sypha fell to their usual playful bickering. Anna squeezed gently back and let out a small breath as the car stopped at the designated parking spot, going silent as it shut down.

For a few moments, they all sat there in silence, then Adrian stirred, and pushed open the car door. Anna followed him out, and looked around reflexively at the various other cars scatter about the parking area; each one had its own designated charging station, and it was clear that there were a number of people already arrived.

“...there's Johnathan's car,” Adrian said after a moment, and she couldn't tell if it was relief or unease in his voice. “Not surprising that he beat us here. I suppose I should let him say I was late...”

“Only if it serves a purpose that's not antagonistic,” Anna countered, moving to make room for Trevor and Sypha to get out as well. “You don't want a fight the day before you sit down and try to hash things out.”

“Yes dear,” he replied obligingly.

She scoffed gently, and hugged his arm, resting her head on the soft fabric of his jacket.

“No time like the present to get bullshit done,” Trevor said after another long minute, clapping a hand on Adrian's shoulder briefly. “C'mon old man, if nothing else, we get good food?”

“We usually end up with good food wherever we go,” Adrian replied, though he did start heading for the front door when Trevor gave him a small push.

“...good food we don't have to cook?”

“You _don't_ cook,” Sypha said dryly.

“He can though~”

Trevor waved his hands a little at Anna, then blushed a bit when both Adrian and Sypha stared at him. Anna just smiled innocently when he gave her a sour look.

“You can cook?” Sypha asked.

“....I mean, yeah. I learned how. I'm no gourmet anything, though,” Trevor said, embarrassed.

“Dare I ask how you learned?” Adrian said, a small smile one his face.

“.... _badly_ ,” Trevor grumbled, giving Anna another small glare.

“He blew up my kitchen once, during the time I was recovering from...” Anna faltered, but both Sypha and Adrian nodded, understanding without her needing to say the name. “Scared me, scared at least three other tenants in the building, and pissed off my landlord something fierce. But he got better at it, with some practice.”

“Okay, so that's how. Why did you learn to cook?”

“Because it was an old building. And I mean _old_. But the rent was cheap enough we could afford it, especially while she was struggling to get her head back on,” and Trevor nodded a little at Anna, who flushed a little herself. That had taken several months of work on his part, really... “No auto-cookers or anything. And buying pre-made was expensive, so I figured one of us had to figure it out.”

“He only blew it up the one time~”

Trevor stuck out his tongue as Adrian pushed open the front door, chuckling softly. Anna made a face at him in reply, following her husband into his family home.

The could hear numerous voices beyond the main entry, and Anna felt Adrian stutter a little. She shifted her hand to run along his back, and he let out a small, shuddery sigh.

“...this seemed much less intimidating when it was only a proposed idea,” he muttered.

“Well, we're not required to stay,” she pointed out. “We came for dinner, and once that's done, we can leave, since most of the responsibility is on Johnathan anyways.”

“Well, Johnathan and a couple other people he's asked to help him,” Adrian said after a moment, his arm shifting to wrap around her shoulders. “I know there's a couple lawyers, and I'm quite sure Astra is here as well. Plus another few people from the company...”

The living room, when they stepped into it, wasn't _packed_ , but there were a good few more people in it than was strictly comfortable. Adrian shifted closer to Anna, the hand on her shoulder tightening briefly as his breath caught.

“Slow and easy,” she murmured, curling her fingers gently in his jacket. “We're here, Adrian, it'll be-”

The words caught in her throat as she heard a familiar, unwelcome laugh. Her hand tightened instantly on Adrian's coat as she searched the room, feeling panic rising in her chest. Not him. Not him, he _couldn't_ be here.

But there he was, halfway across the room, talking to Johnathan of all people.

Anna froze, unable to help herself as Quinn's charming smile flashed across his face, and Johnathan nodded his head slightly as if in agreement.

“...Anna?” Adrian's voice broke into her panic, quelled it enough that she was able to move again. “Darling, what's wrong?”

She swallowed, hard, then pointed. Adrian followed the finger, and went still himself, then swore, very quietly.

“No, this will _not_ do,” he said firmly. “Trevor, come here.”

Trevor, who had been drifting off to follow where Sypha went, came back, and his attention focused on her quickly, turning from vague annoyance to sharp concern. Anna looked down, embarrassed and unnerved, but unwilling to deny that she rather needed the solid comfort of Trevor at the moment.

“What's up?”

“....he's... here.”

Trevor went stiff, and his hands clenched. It was plain to Anna that he wanted to immediately plow into the crowd and punch Quinn full in the face.... but he didn't, and only partially because Adrian grabbed him by the arm.

“Anna, I'm going to find my parents and address this,” Adrian said quietly, turning to look at her. “You stay with Trevor and Sypha. Trevor, _do not_ antagonize him. If he approaches, walk away.”

Trevor made a face, then came around to stand on Anna's other side, a protective arm draping across her shoulders.

“Fine, fine...” he grumbled. “Ruin the fun.”

Adrian half-smiled, kissed Trevor on the cheek, Anna on the forehead, then quickly moved into the small crowd. Anna curled a little against Trevor's side, and did her best to keep herself controlled.

“We could make a run for the backyard?” Trevor offered after a minute.

“...go right past them,” she replied in an uneasy mumble. “Where's...”

“Sypha said something about a bathroom,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “She'll be annoyed if we vanish, but I think she'd be even more so if we stuck around and he spotted us.”

Anna couldn't help but shudder. She had thought she was doing better, but Quinn being in the same room as her shot her stress meter well up past the nanite tolerance. She couldn't _not_ watch him, even as she wanted only to get away _from_ him. How had he managed to be here? _Why_ was he here?!

“Anna. _Anna_.”

She jolted a little, and looked up at Trevor, who was now blocking her view entirely.

“Yeah, c'mon, we're going back outside. Sypha can ping me when she's done,” he said firmly.

It just wasn't _fair_. He shouldn't affect her like this, she had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him, she shouldn't.... _run_ from this.

But the logical part of her knew that Trevor was right; she couldn't be in the same room as Quinn and _not_ be in a panic. So Anna nodded, and tucked herself to Trevor's side, trying not to cling as he carefully worked them across the small room.

“Belmont.”

Trevor snarled a soft curse, turning to face Quinn even as he shoved Anna behind him. Anna wasn't sure if she wanted to resent this or be comforted by it, so she stayed close, wrapping her hands in Trevor's jacket in silent plea to _not_ haul off and punch Quinn no matter how much he wanted to.

“What do you want, Janaro?” Trevor said flatly.

“Oh, I was simply curious as to where Anna might be,” Quinn replied airily. “No longer in company with you lot?”

“She doesn't want to see you,” Trevor retorted. “Hell, you're not supposed to be _near_ her, Janaro, the restraining order-”

“Was for the Alterra trans-gov,” Quinn interrupted smoothly, and she could _hear_ the smugness in his voice. “We are in the Apollo tans-gov systems now, and such things are.... _fuzzy_ , between trans-govs.”

“Bullshit,” Trevor snapped. “A restraining order is a restraining order, and for fuck's sake what is you _problem_ with leaving my cousin alone? She's _married_ , damnit, and even if she weren't, she wants _nothing_ to do with you!”

“Hmph. Coached along, no doubt by you and Mr. Tepes,” and she didn't have to see Quinn to know that dismissive expression was on his face. “I wonder at the legitimacy of anything I was told.”

“Wonder all the fuck you want, it's not _Anna's_ manners who are in question. She told you to fuck off and leave her alone. Hell, she _punched_ you! The fuck's it going to take for you to understand she doesn't _like_ you?!”

It was a fair enough question, and one Anna was asking herself as well, as she tried to bolster up her courage for the unexpected, _unwanted,_ confrontation. She had to say _something_ before this turned into a fight.

“...hey, what's going on?”

Johnathan.

Anna swallowed, and peered uncertainly out from behind Trevor at the younger Tepes man, who was frowning between them.

“We have _history_ ,” Trevor said shortly. “He emotionally abused Anna, and doesn't seem to know what the word 'no' means.”

Johnathan's eyebrows went up, and he glanced towards Trevor, then spotted her. It was _strange_ to see Adrian's inquiring headtip in his younger brother, but also... comforting. She nodded slightly, and Jonathan moved to stand closer to Trevor, silent indication of which side of the argument he would support.

“I was simply inquiring if she was here, and were she, if she would be amenable to a conversation,” Quinn replied, the edge having dropped from his tone now that Johnathan was involved.

“And _I_ told you that she doesn't want to deal with you,” Trevor retorted. “You got your answer back on Torrens, and it damn well hasn't changed since then.”

“Excuse me if I understand this correctly, Captain Janaro,” Johnathan said, his tone polite, his posture tense. “You caused my sister in law emotional abuse?”

“It was nothing like that,” Quinn replied smoothly. “Anna was just-”

“Never given a chance to say no, never given a choice in personal expression, not allowed to do _anything_ you didn't approve of,” Trevor snarled slightly. “D'you know how many months of work I had to put into getting her to talk to me again? How much goddamn _effort_ it took to get her to express her opinions?!”

She could tell Trevor was struggling to keep his voice low, and she pressed her head briefly against his back. Her words had all deserted her, but she was still there, still appreciative of everything he'd done _for_ her.

...well, except maybe blowing up the kitchen, but he'd been _trying._ It was hard to not appreciate that.

Sypha came up on Trevor's other side, slipping around him to stand next to Anna, putting an arm around her shoulders.

“What is _he_ doing here?” she murmured.

Anna could only shrug helplessly, half-burying her face against Sypha's shoulder. She had to say something. _Anything_. They needed to get out of this situation before it escalated beyond where she could cope with it.

“You're dramatizing a situation that _you_ were clearly jealous of,” Quinn said with a small sniff. “Anna's delicate nature-”

“I'm sorry, are we still discussing my sister in law? Because I think you're using the wrong adjective there, Captain. She's decidedly not _delicate_. Or fragile, or any other synonym you might attempt,” Johnathan said, his tone sardonic. “Considering she survived a deadly virus, kept her cousin and girlfriend alive, and then managed to find my brother, find their _cure_ , and spend almost a year dealing with aggravating nonsense on Torrens from Alterra, those are the _farthest_ things from her actual personality.”

Anna blinked, and stared at Johnathan... or what she could see of him around Sypha and Trevor. That had almost sounded like he _admired_ her, and that couldn't be right... could it?

“Maybe I was jealous, but I wasn't _blind_ ,” Trevor said after a moment. Clearly Johnathan had surprised him too. “You tried to break my cousin, and I'll be damned if you're allowed to come on this trip to fuck with her any further.”

“I must concur.”

Anna's head snapped up and she caught her breath on a relieved noise; Adrian had returned, bringing his father and a woman she didn't recognize with him. He moved to further block her view of Quinn, though he held out a hand which she was glad to seize. There was strength to be found in his grip, comforting and warm, and surrounded by her important people, the fear finally edged down to a level she could work around.

The woman was maybe two inches taller than Sypha, pale-skinned and lightly scarred across her face; some childhood pox, maybe, a tiny corner of Anna's mind contemplated. She carried herself with the air of someone used to being obeyed, and she heard Quinn's sharp intake of breath.

“Admiral Shepard,” he said cautiously.

“Captain Janaro,” she replied, her tone cool and professional. “Having been lightly briefed on the situation, please, enlighten me as to what you think you're doing.”

“Ah... I'm... attempting to converse with someone I once had relations with, while her cousin is being deliberately provocative and obfuscating,” he said after a long moment.

“Really? Because I see one extremely panicked civilian, and several more pissed off ones who look like they'd enjoy putting their boots up your ass. Frankly, I can't tell if it's Mr. Belmont, or Mr. Tepes that wants to do it more.”

Very gently, Vlad put an arm around Anna and Sypha, tugging both women away.

“My wife has been looking for you,” he said calmly, as Anna reluctantly released both cousin and husband. “She's got some plants from her garden that she thought you might appreciate, and wanted to know your opinion on their colors.”

Anna looked back over her shoulder at the stare-down; Sypha very gently nudged her to move forward, to follow her father in law, and reluctantly Anna did, leaving the confrontation behind.

“Don't worry,” Vlad said softly. “Admiral Shepard has already agreed to remove him from the mission; she's just a fan of letting people dig their own graves, as it were. He'll be gone shortly. Until then, Lisa truly does have some plants for you, and most of them were chosen by Mina. I think you'll like quite a few of them.”

She managed a weak smile for him, then leaned her head briefly against Sypha's as the other woman hugged her gently. It just didn't feel _right_ to be walking away from this. It was _her_ problem to handle...

Wasn't it?

-

“Really, there is no need for such hostilities,” Janaro protested, looking from Trevor, to Johnathan, to Adrian, and doing his best to avoid looking at the admiral Adrian had brought with.

“I think there is,” Adrian said shortly. “You were informed quite point blank, by my _wife_ , that she wanted nothing to do with you. We had a restraining order crafted to keep you away from Anna _for a reason_. One you clearly choose to avoid believing, which frankly strikes me as very foolish. Do you think we're going to _allow_ you to bully her, Janaro?”

“I am bullying no one! I am attempting to ascertain-”

“You're being a giant dick who won't take no for an answer and thinks Anna's not absolutely certain about what she wants,” Trevor interrupted. “Or maybe you think that her being in an open relationship means she'll take you back. That's _definitely_ not going to happen, by the way. _None_ of us want you around, _least of all_ my cousin.”

Adrian nodded in firm agreement, crossing his arms over his chest.

It had been surprising, if heartening, to see that Johnathan had elected to stand by Trevor, clearly on Anna's side. Though perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised; Anna had an air about her that just drew people in gently once you knew her, even as she seemed constantly bewildered by the idea that people might actually _like_ her. And no doubt after snapping at Johnathan, making him see beyond his own myopic view of the situation, he'd seen a person he might actually like as an in law.

“Violating a restraining order?” Admiral Shepard raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth turning down.

“It was issued in Alterra space, no doubt prompted by these two, who seem to think-”

“Janaro, I don't care _where_ it was issued, a restraining order is a restraining order, and you should have known better than to put yourself forward for a mission where you knew one person had one _against_ you,” the admiral replied. “As of this moment, you are _off_ the mission, and you will remove yourself from the premises before I consider letting these gentlemen _put_ a collective boot up your ass for creating a deliberately hostile air. Continue, and I'll be discussing with the rear admiral about your reassignment.”

It was satisfying in the extreme to watch color drain from Janaro's face. He still likely didn't get the point that Anna wanted nothing to do with him, but faced with official sanctions and threat of punishment, he snapped an unhappy salute, then turned on his heel when he was summarily dismissed. He watched until the man left out the front door, then breathed a low sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Admiral,” he said, turning and bowing slightly to her. “We thought we had left the problem of him behind...”

“We'll deal with it,” she replied, demeanor softening a little. “He'll likely get some rim duty for a while. You should get one of your lawyers to issue a planetary ban for him.”

“....a good idea. I appreciate the advice.”

“Damn,” Trevor muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “We could have fed him to a Reaper.”

“Probably give the thing indigestion,” Adrian replied dryly.

“I mean, it'd solve the problem? Hell, two birds, one stone.”

Johnathan snorted slightly, shaking his head, but elected to not comment. Adrian half-smiled in wry agreement.

“If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I now have to go find the commander of Janaro's vessel and make sure she's briefed on why her captain won't be showing up, and she'll be the one in charge,” Shepard said. “There should be no further problems?”

“Hopefully not, but if there are, we'll inform you,” Adrian promised.

She half-smiled, a slightly sardonic curve to it, nodded to them, and walked into the gathering.

“...damn. Can I be her when I grow up?” Trevor asked after a minute.

“You'll have to grow up first, and I'm not sure that's possible,” Adrian replied, feeling a little giddy with relief, even as he leaned against his boyfriend. “You still haven't managed it yet.”

“I will drop you,” Trevor grumbled, though he put an arm around Adrian for support instead. “Right on your fancy ass.”

“....are you okay?” Johnathan asked cautiously.

“I'm... I've been better,” Adrian acknowledged after a moment, rubbing a tired hand over his face. “Janaro was not a welcome surprise, and there's... bound to be some negative impact to Anna. Why did you let him corner you, Trevor?”

“I was trying to get Anna out to the garden,” he grumbled a little. “I thought she'd make a break for it if I blocked her from view.” Then he glanced at Johnathan and added gruffly, “Thanks for the save. I was close to punching him, guest or not.”

“You looked rather like you wanted to rip his head off,” Johnathan replied, a dry smile flicking across his face. “I thought something felt weird about him, but.... I didn't expect that, I admit. How long _did_ it take to help...?”

“Months. Almost a year,” Trevor said after a tense moment. “She wanted to keep taking her classes on the college campus, and I had to talk her out of it pretty hard. It took ages before she agreed to switch focus, and then finding another campus she could get to... It was a pain in the ass. I'd do it again, mind you, and punch Janaro more too, but I don't want him near her. Ever again. Where's she gone?”

“Father's taken her to Mother. They'll likely be down for dinner, and we'll probably leave not long after,” Adrian replied. “You'll manage?”

The question was directed at Johnathan; for a moment he looked insulted. Then annoyed. Then finally he sighed, letting the ire fade.

“I'll manage. I won't have all the answers for them, but since TI is the main investor in the project, they'll accept what I _do_ have,” he replied. “...will you still return tomorrow?”

“...I'll do my best,” Adrian replied honestly. “We do need to talk. But it may be a few days while we... mitigate damage to Anna's mental state.”

Johnathan didn't look pleased by the idea, but he nodded after a minute.

“Well, if you have to reschedule, let me know. We can.... try and work it out from there.”

“I appreciate that.”

Johnathan hovered a few moments more, then nodded a little, and walked back into the throng of naval personnel, leaving Adrian to lean wearily against Trevor.

“Sure you want to stay for dinner?” Trevor asked.

“No, but... I promised I would. And I think it'll do Anna a little good to see that Janaro is no longer among the faces of those attending. But we can leave immediately after.”

“...y'know, I think I rescind my dibs on the hot tub. You can have it.”

Adrian chuckled a little, and hugged Trevor lightly.

“We're sharing. After that.... _all_ of us need it.”

“Can't argue with that. C'mon, let's go find the girls.”

Anna... yes. He needed to hold Anna. And she probably needed to be held. So he nodded, and followed Trevor in the direction his father had gone.

-

Personal log, Anna Torres

I wish I could have said more, done more, _something_. But I wasn't prepared for a confrontation... maybe that's why Quinn did that. Bless Trevor for being the best wall ever... bless Adrian for managing to find the admiral in charge of the dreadnought. I've heard of Shepard... she's practically a legend, even among civilians. She was nice too, full of bad jokes and funny stories.

Quinn no longer being part of the mission is good. While I've never heard of a planetary ban, I... really like the idea. Though Trevor complained, again, that he would have just fed Quinn to a Reaper. It's probably bad of me that the idea holds some appeal...

Adrian said he was going to postpone his talk with Johnathan for a couple of days, and as much as I want to protest this, I can't.... deny that he probably needs a day or so to recover himself. He said he was going to spend most of the day floating in the pool while I work on the greenhouse garden with Trevor and Sypha. I...

He wants to be close, but not smother me. There aren't words for how much I.... I love him for it. How much I appreciate the efforts everyone went to, to make sure that I was as safe as they could make me.

….I need to thank Johanthan too. Maybe Lisa can advise me on how to do that.

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

Anna is strained, but the comfort she needs is more from Trevor than from me right now. At least as far as protective physical contact goes. I suspect in a day or so there will be a small upswing into needing sexual comfort, and I am willing to supply that, unquestionably. But it is rather cute to see her wrapped so firmly around Trevor that you can't fit a spatula between them.

Johnathan apparently navigated the after-dinner events quite nicely. I only received a couple of texts asking questions that needed personal clarification, and they didn't detract even slightly from the hot soak we all indulged in. Though keeping Trevor from adding in personal anecdotes was a bit of a trial.

I think I do need a couple of days, unfortunately; luckily, Johnathan is amenable to this, and even said he would take a day or two off if necessary. We are both so cautious about this, and I don't know that we'll ever truly get back to where we were when I left, but... but I will take civil and cautiously friendly over nothing at all.

After all, he didn't _have_ to step up and defend Anna like that. If nothing else, I suspect that we can agree to try and get along for her sake.


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve

Adrian looked up at the house where he'd spent his early years, and almost felt like he was seeing it for the first time. It hadn't felt so large the other day, but now it seemed huge, almost inscrutable in appearances. Trellises climbed the front walls, dripping with amber-blossoms, and bleeding hearts, hiding the weathered paint job that would probably be redone in a year or two with nanotech paintbots. The drive was wide and long, with multiple spots for hovercars, warming with the summer sun.

Reminded of the sun, he quickly crossed the driveway, Anna trailing silently behind him, and went up the small steps to the front door. He knocked out of polite habit more than anything else, then let them in, breathing in the familiar smell of the foyer where he shed his shoes. His mind cataloged the faint smells still hanging in the air; pancakes-or-waffles with chocolate and fruit, some type of meat, eggs... it had been a full breakfast then.

His stomach growled a little, prompting a small noise of amusement from his wife.

“I told you you'd regret not eating,” she teased gently.

“I think managing half the protein shake was about all I was going to get,” he huffed a little, giving her a very gentle push.

Anna pushed gently back, then snuggled his arm as they moved from foyer to living room. Theoretically she was there because Lisa wanted to show her more plants, and help her decide what should go with them on the trip to Atlantis—now less than a month away. Realistically, they both knew she was there to provide a ballast if he needed it, if the talk went bad. They were both cautiously optimistic, but he knew Anna had seen too many things go south in her short lifetime, and frankly, he felt better knowing she was within shouting distance.

Lisa stepped out the kitchen and smiled warmly at them both.

“I was wondering if you'd be here before or after lunch,” she said with a small nod. “Mina's out with friends, but she'll be back around dinner, if you feel up to staying that long.”

“We'll see,” Adrian said with an uncertain nod of his own. “Is... that is, where...?”

“In your father's study, of course,” and Lisa came over to give him a quick hug. “Vlad's idea, the hope that both of you might find... common ground in a comforting place.”

He half-smiled; of course his father would think of that. The study had always been a place of calm, a sort of sanctuary from the energy of the rest of the world. At least, for him it had. The weight of the ancient books his father liked to collect, and also Vlad's regard, made it a good place to escape from reality as a child.

Hopefully it would be an anchor for both him and Johnathan; a place to start instead of a place to stop.

Anna squeezed his hand gently, then leaned up to kiss his cheek.

“Remember to breathe,” she murmured. “You know Trevor will never let you live it down if you get so worked up as to faint.”

“Trevor currently has his own problems,” Adrian said with a slightly sardonic twist to his smile. “Five days left until the ceremony, and he's out helping Sypha get those last minute things, and also her relatives.”

“You say that as though he'll _forget_ to tease you. Remind me again how long you've known my cousin?”

“.....point.”

She grinned, gave him another small kiss, and followed Lisa out of the room, though not without a backwards, encouraging smile before they reached the glass doors that would lead to the backyard.

Adrian took in a slow breath, let it out, then turned to start up the stairs.

He was nervous; who wouldn't be? There was so much to address, so much to _say_ , he honestly didn't know where to begin. Was there really a way to verbally explain the mess he'd become on Atlantis, in the timelessness of the deep ocean, dying by centimeters to a disease that even now he only barely understood?

There was really only one way to find out...

The study door did not loom, it was not obvious or dramatic, but it still took him a moment before he gave a perfunctory knock, then entered at the sound of his father's voice. Damaged his memory was, but looking around the room he felt a few holes filling themselves in; the small fake fireplace with the mantle, that was where they had hung the winter solstice celebration stockings; the oversized desk had been a fort more than a few times, and a... pirate ship at least once; the large windows....

He frowned a little and studied the windows in confusion. They looked... wrong, somehow.

“We remodeled the room after Mina was born,” Vlad said, noticing his focus. “A few of Johnathan's school friends were a little too rambunctious, and it was simpler to just... replace everything.”

Johnathan looked vaguely embarrassed, and Adrian smiled slightly, uncertainly as he made his way to a large chair. Padded thickly, firm yet soft... the sort of chairs Sypha liked. He liked them too, though he had a fondness for the ones you could sink into; Anna loved those, and it was cute to watch her squirm her way into what she felt was a comfortable position.

He rather thought he would have preferred one of those sorts of chairs at the moment, honestly. An additional barrier against discomforting questions, and words he could no longer hide from. But after a long minute he let out a slow breath, then folded his hands in his lap.

“This is what I remember...”

-

“You're worried.”

Anna looked up, startled; she wasn't sure when they'd stopped walking, but she was suddenly, acutely aware that Lisa had been talking and she hadn't absorbed a single word. The gentle, _bizarre_ concern on Lisa's face made her look down at her toes, embarrassed.

“I do that a lot....”

Lisa's hand gently touched her chin, coaxing her into looking up again.

“Who are you worrying about?”

“....everyone?”

That made the older woman chuckle, even as she nudged Anna to sit on the padded swing. Much like the one at the house on Torrens, now that she was noticing properly.

“Johnathan and Adrian are being watched over by their father. He can keep a hand on them without saying a single word,” Lisa said with fond amusement. “Does 'everyone' include your cousin?”

“....a little, but... not as much.”

Anna curled her fingers in the hem of the tunic-length shirt she'd elected to wear. Really, she was mostly worried about Adrian. Not so much about the necessary talk, but the _contents_ of that talk. They had always been very careful when discussing Atlantis to try and gloss it over, to avoid letting him sink to deeply into the memories. It was a struggle to get him out each time, and she was afraid that if she let him, he would be lost _to_ those memories.

Which was admittedly a bit silly of her, but Adrian's ability to visualize was rather off the scale when it came to seeing what _wasn't_ there. He'd gotten better at _hiding_ it, but _she_ was getting better at the subtle cues of his body language; tension, eye-tracking, and sometimes even the slightest of headtips were his only tells.

“What are Sypha and Trevor doing today?”

“Her... some of her family is arriving at the spaceport in Chillia. Aguilla. Sypha wanted to pick them up, and do a little sight-seeing around the city before bringing them to the Gresit hotel they booked. Trevor... complained, but went along with it. He's fussing about something, but I'm not sure what...”

And she was babbling; the realization made her flush and close her mouth. Why would anyone want to listen to her worry, when those worries were unfounded by anything but instinct?

“Why do you think he's fussing?” Lisa prompted gently.

“He's... It's... _subtle_. For Trevor, anyways. He _does_ things, you know? He can't not sit still; even when we're watching a vid, he's shifting position, cheering for the good guys, making fun of the bad ones...” She half-smiled. “It's why we don't see them at screenings. He just has too much _energy_ to behave. But...”

“But...?”

“It's... _worse_ when he's worrying. He paces. He fidgets. He gets up in the middle of the night half a dozen times for little things he could usually leave for morning because he's too focused to drop it, and doing little things distracts him.”

Lisa tipped her head thoughtfully.

“How do you know?”

Anna's smile was rueful.

“I'm back to sleeping light, and Trevor doesn't know the meaning of subtle,” she said a little dryly. “I've tried asking him, but he just shrugs and says it's nothing, just little itchy thoughts, and I know he's _trying_ to avoid stressing me out when he says that, but it's... not really _working_.”

“Is it the wedding, maybe?”

Anna thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“No, he's been pretty open about that. He doesn't really _want_ to do a ceremony, but he knows Sypha wants it, so he'll put up with it. And of course, we've all got parts in it too, which he likes to tease about. I do know he likes Sypha's family; he'll.... maybe he'll whine a little about the volume, but he never really means it.... He's definitely been looking forward to seeing them again before all conversations are message only thanks to the vastness of space and all.”

It made her smile a little, if sadly; if Trevor had been a few years older when he'd met her family, maybe it would have been different. Maybe his need to be an older sibling to _someone_ would have shone through more, and life would have been easier on them both.

Or maybe he would have just been an even bigger asshole. That was the problem with what-if scenarios involving her darling cousin. As many chances for them to go wrong as they went right. She might have liked him better, older, but he might have been even more angry and standoffish...

She closed her eyes and gave herself a small, mental shake. The past was the past, solid and unchangeable. She needed to land in the present again.

“...well, you can always get Adrian to sit on him?” Lisa said after another moment.

Anna blinked. Snickered.

“I've been thinking about it. I mean, if nothing else, it might just be the move. Again. Admittedly, Trevor's never been very... stationary; he likes traveling around.... But...”

Anna hesitated a long moment, thinking back to the night the ship was shot down and shuddered a little.

“...that could be it, actually.”

Lisa made an inquisitive noise.

“The last time we approached 4546B, we were shot down,” Anna replied, curling her fingers loosely in her tunic again. “I... I barely remember... It was so disorienting, the lights, the alarm.... I think I just kind of shut down at all the input.” She smiled crookedly. “Thank goodness Sypha keeps a cool head in pretty much any situation.”

“Why don't you tell me about the planet?” Lisa coaxed gently. “It wasn't all bad, was it?”

“No, not... really. I mean, infection and leviathan-class predators aside, it was honestly pretty. Here, I still have...”

Anna pulled her data pad off her belt, and opened the photo tab, then passed it over to Lisa to let her see what the planet looked like through the camera lens.

-

Adrian pressed his hands to his face, then tipped his head back a little to stare rather blankly up at the ceiling.

“....why, if it did all that to you, are you going _back_?” Johnathan said after a long, incredulous minute. “That's not... even _remotely_ sensible! Why is she letting you-”

“It's not really a question of letting me,” Adrian smiled tiredly, closing his eyes in a bid to close out the creatures swimming through the air. Deep breaths, slow and easy... “Anna asked me where home was, and I couldn't lie to her. I returned to Alterra for them; they are returning to Atlantis for me.”

“But... _why_?”

Johnathan sounded bewildered, rather like he wanted to be angry but he wasn't really sure who to be angry _with_.

“Because... I would never be happy anywhere else. I need the... _lack_ of structure, at this point. Maybe not the pressure or the darkness, but the planet....” he paused for a long moment, trying to martial his thoughts into a line; if he drifted too far, he would only upset Anna, and she didn't deserve that, not after... “I thought I would never leave, Johnathan. And after a time, despite the fact that it was arguably trying very hard to kill me, I came to love the planet, and not _want_ to leave. A cure, certainly. More people? The number of times I would have happily attacked a Ghost Leviathan for at least one other person... I can't even begin to count those. Beyond number, more or less. But leave? Even when they were making plans, I didn't actually _want_ to. But _they_ did.”

And he couldn't blame them for wanting to leave; they had seen some of the beauty, but mostly what they'd been subjected to were the dangers. The kharaa, the quarantine enforcement platform, the Reapers, and Ghost Reapers, and all the smaller predators as well... Not to mention Scott's kharaa phantasm, which he still kept secret out of courtesy to his wife.

Would that still be a thing, when they returned, or would the release of the Sea Emperor babies have removed it as a threat? Considering it was a large concentration of kharaa, he rather hoped it would be gone; neither he, nor Anna, needed to deal with the soul of a man who had died long ago.

Silence ruled the room, and Adrian welcomed it. He'd lost track of time while he was talking, but if the angle of the sunlight through the window—warm without being burning, thanks to a glaze on the glass—passing over his face was any indication, it was close to lunch, if not past it. Would Anna or his mother come up to get them, or would they be distracted by whatever talk they were having?

It amused him, a little, to know that some of Anna's nervousness around his parents was simply because she wasn't _used_ to his kind of family. Mostly it made him sad that he was taking her away from that before she had a chance to decide if she liked it or if it was too smothering for her. He thought she'd love it, once she relaxed enough to accept it.

“....will you _ever_ come back?” his brother asked, and Adrian started a little, hearing not the adult, but the small boy he'd left behind, on the cusp of such a thing.

“....I wish I could say yes,” he said quietly. “I wish... I wish that the Pirouette had not strained and tainted my tolerance for riding in space ships, through phasegates and interstellar lanes. I will be able to tolerate being on the Plato to get there, but... I think that will be the last journey I ever make that's not shuttling to an orbital facility.”

He opened his eyes and saw the disappointment on Johnathan's face, and the sadness in Vlad's eyes. And they hurt him too; how could they not? His family had lost him for ten years, no doubt the idea of him returning to that planet, no matter how positively it would affect him, gave them all pause for thought.

“...I'm sorry,” he offered quietly. “If I could stay here, or visit, I would, but... But I am perhaps foolish enough to recognize that home is an ocean planet, with strange alien technology and giant sea creatures that would undoubtedly like nothing more than to eat me if given half a chance. Not,” he added quickly as both men glared at him, “that I intend to give them that. And this time no one is going to be shot down, or stranded. I'll be able to send messages, and receive them, and once we're certain it's safe....”

Johnathan frowned a little.

“How long do you think that'll take?” he asked. “Making sure no one's going to be infected?”

“Well, we've got the data on the kharaa, the markers for it as an infectious vector in water, air, and everything else,” Adrian replied. “I imagine once we've got several satellites out on orbital paths for scanning, it shouldn't take more than a few weeks... admittedly, I'm not sure on the _size_ of Atlantis; I could be being woefully optimistic.”

He hesitated, then gave himself a mental shake; Trevor would do as Trevor liked, but he was feeling less like it was necessary now. Perhaps he could talk him out of leaving Johnathan at the deep base.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to deconstruct the deep base, and rebuild it with a more logical floor plan. Or even just make it smaller, since it _was_ in a good place for watching the migrations of the Ghost Leviathan's, among other creatures. The idea stung a little; what was left of Liesse was at that base, and he'd already agreed to let Anna rebuild the base in the Jellyshroom cave from the ground up.

But...

If the planet was going to be his home, and if he was going to _avoid_ having some difficult relapses, changing things around might not be a bad idea.

“ _Are_ you thinking of opening to a proper colonization after you've ensured the kharaa has been negated?” Vlad asked.

Adrian blinked. Looked narrowly at his father.

“That's not my decision,” he said firmly, a little sourly.

“Actually... it kind of is,” and Johnathan huffed a small, almost amused sigh as Adrian stared at him. “You _own_ the planet, Adrian, regardless of what government gets put in place. You claimed it, you fought Alterra over it, even if you don't want to _run_ it, you're still in charge of some seriously major decisions. Like, say, that one.”

“I don't.... know,” Adrian admitted after a moment of catching his breath. He had felt his heart skip at the idea of deciding that, and he knew if he didn't stay calm, Anna would probably kick down the door to scold them all. Not to mention his _mother_... “The alien technology complicates things. Living in the crater could be accomplished, I think, both above and below the water, but I don't want to put too many people there to start. Us, and a... preliminary exploratory team will probably be trying enough on the ecosystem. And without knowing how much alien tech there _is_ on the rest of the planet, I'd be worried about sending colonists down unwarned. Science teams, even, make me worry, as I have no idea about any of the hazards _beyond_ the crater...”

“We're going to spend a year living on a damn orbital station, aren't we?” Johnathan complained mildly. “Packed in like attalik in a can!”

Adrian blinked. Chuckled a little, then half-shrugged.

“That's a good possibility. But... better an orbital station than cause unexpected harm to either ourselves or the planet.”

Johnathan made a noise that sounded somewhere between grumpy and giving in; he didn't like it, but he was accepting it for the moment. Adrian rather hoped that the orbital stations wouldn't be as cramped as they both worried. Much as he wanted to get down to the surface, down to the water, he wasn't going to risk himself or his family. But living practically on top of _other_ people was not something he wanted to do. He needed the space, the privacy, as much as the closeness of his chosen people.

An alarm went off on Vlad's desk, making him and Johnathan both jump. Vlad just blinked, looked at it, then nodded.

“Your mother insisted I make sure to set a timer so that we didn't miss lunch,” he said with a small smile. “Mina won't be back until dinner, so it will just be us adults, and perhaps we can all discuss what comes in the future. I know Lisa has some... _opinions_ on personnel, and I must admit, some of her recommendations are.... sensible. Strident, but sensible.”

Johnathan groaned a little, and Adrian tried to ignore the trepidation curling in his gut. When their mother got involved, that was usually a sign that they were about to make some compromises they weren't likely to enjoy.

He glanced at his brother and caught the briefest flicker of semi-annoyed acknowledgment that warmed him; for a moment, it almost felt like they were back on even footing again.

And that was a feeling he was more than willing to encourage.

-

“...so, along with the science team, we're going to have a small core of medical doctors too,” Anna said, shaking her head a little in wry amusement as Trevor and Sypha shared resigned looks. “It's not necessarily like we weren't _expecting_ that, but Lisa's being very... um....”

“Particular,” Adrian filled in dryly. “Mother is more or less hand-picking people she personally knows that would love to adventure and sending them with us. There's three psychologists, and five medical professionals, not including my adorable and darling wife.”

She reached over and pushed him gently, blushing. He grinned a little, and kissed the top of her head.

“I'm not hired in a specific capacity to anyone _but_ you, so cut that out,” she huffed gently.

“Yeah, but we know you'll pitch in if there's an emergency,” Trevor said dryly. “If they need another set of hands, or whatever the autodoc can't-or-won't cover.”

She stuck her tongue out at Trevor, making Sypha giggle.

“What about asking... Charri and Eliza?” Sypha asked after a moment. “So that we don't feel too ganged up on?”

“Mother did,” Adrian said before Anna could, “but given that theirs would be the only children on the voyage, they declined until we're open for colonizing properly.”

Anna nodded, admittedly not sure if she was disappointed or relieved. While she would have liked to have more time and connection to both adults, it was unfair to the children in the extreme, especially as she didn't intend to have any of her own for another three years at the earliest.

“Oh well. At least we know they want to come when we're ready to have more than just science geeks,” Trevor said with a small shrug and a grin. “How'd the other thing go?”

“It... went all right, I think,” Adrian said after a moment, letting out a small breath. “I'm still not sure Johnathan will truly understand until he _sees_ , but at the moment we seem to have stepped into somewhat civil, neutral territory. He still... hurts, but now he's approaching it from a more adult angle.”

“Not to say that you two didn't bicker,” Anna said dryly. “He was _very_ offended that you didn't remember half of what he did when it comes to childhood.”

Adrian sighed, but smiled a little, leaning against her.

“Yes, well, that was almost... rote, I suppose. He may have been trying a little too hard.”

Anna snuggled against him with a small smile, then yawned a little. It had, admittedly, been something of a strain trying to be fine when she was worried.

“Anything interesting for you?”Sypha teased gently.

“Pretty plants,” Anna replied with a small smile, glossing over the truth. “Some that would work well in a humid, tropical environment, so they might come with us. I'll have to be careful, of course, to avoid cross-pollination, but there's a variant on a tiger lily that Lisa thought would grow well, and if nothing else, we'll have some very nice flowers for the wedding in a few days. What about you two, how did your day go?”

Trevor groaned theatrically, and Sypha elbowed him gently.

“It was fine. Grandfather's here, and said he'd like to stay until we leave for Atlantis,” she replied. “Everyone else was excited to visit a different planet, and there's definitely going to be some lake excursions before they all go home. A couple of my aunts and mother insist they can handle what little there is left of planning duties, and everyone old enough to drink seemed a bit disappointed when I said we were having a bachelor's night _or_ a bachelorette party.”

For which Anna was extremely grateful; she'd never been involved in a wedding, but she sometimes like to browse local networks that collected all sorts of horror stories on things like that. They always made her cringe...

“Mina should like the younger cousins that came along,” Sypha continued. “ _They_ just wanted to run wild in one of the parks. Trevor was no help at all.”

“Hey, I wrestled most of them into submission,” Trevor protested genially. “Can't blame them; cousin getting married, new planet, space travel taking _ages_... Of course they're going to want to burn some energy.”

“...well, that explains why you have a bruise on your cheekbone,” Anna said with a small grin. “I was wondering.”

“No, that he got by running into the door~”

“....you ran into a door?” Adrian asked, eyebrow rising as he clearly fought a smile.

Trevor huffed at Sypha, who giggled.

“I _tripped_ , because _someone_ thought it'd be funny to pretend they were a child-sized puppy,” he said with injured dignity.

“You were the one who made 'wild animal' jokes, it's your own fault the kids took you up on the game,” Sypha retorted with a grin.

“How _many_ kids are here?” Anna asked after a moment. “For that matter, how many _adults_?”

“Twenty adults, and about half that for kids,” Sypha replied. “No one younger than seven was allowed to come.”

Anna relaxed after a moment, snuggling as Adrian's arm slipped around her shoulder in a comforting hug. Thirty people was a _lot_ , honestly, but she couldn't blame Sypha for extending the invites to her family. She _wanted_ the ceremony, and she wanted it to be fun. For her, fun meant family.

“At least we won't have to worry about catering,” Adrian said with a teasing smile. “I think Mother and Father are prepared to feed more than that.”

“Small favors,” Trevor said with a snicker.

“There aren't many wedding things left to do, are there?” Anna asked, suddenly uncertain.

“No,” Sypha said with a reassuring smile. “As far as I can tell, we're all set. There's food, it just needs to be made and the autocookers will take care of that. We're using the lovely backyard of Lisa and Vlad's, so there's no concern about venue issues, and according to the weather, all we'll _really_ have to worry about is making sure Adrian doesn't burn~”

“I am never living that down, am I?” Adrian said with a tolerant sigh.

“Nope!” and Trevor smirked at him. “You are gonna be Mr. Lobster until the day you die~”

Adrian laughed softly, shaking his head lightly.

“The first of the moth swarms should be passing by in another hour or so,” he offered. “Perhaps we should watch them together?”

“Ooo, that's time for a bath and something to eat,” Sypha said gleefully. “I'm interested!”

“Pass,” Trevor said with a yawn of his own. “I mean, I'll take the bath, but I think I'd rather go to sleep.... More tourist duty tomorrow...”

“Anna?”

She thought for a moment, then shook her head a little, reluctantly.

“Maybe another night,” she said with a small smile. “Right now, I think I'm with Trevor. Sleep sounds like a good plan to me.”

“All right,” and Adrian kissed her forehead lightly. “We can take some vids for you~”

She giggled, and kissed his cheek in reply.

“I'll look forward to them~”

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

The wedding draws every nearer, and something is _bothering_ Trevor, but he's being unusually circumspect about it. Which implies that it's something personal, but that doesn't necessarily narrow it down any. Anna's worried, I know, but her inquiries have apparently come to naught, and I am not entirely sure I want to ask...

It's not like Trevor to sit on something, however, so I suspect we'll find out soon. Hopefully _before_ it blows up in our faces....


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW attempts at manipulation and copious amounts of swearing

Thirteen

It was, Adrian thought, rather hilarious to watch Trevor pacing back and forth.

“You're going to wear yourself out before the ceremony even begins,” he teased gently. “Aren't you supposed to save all your energy for the wedding night?~”

Trevor glared, making a rude gesture.

“If you'd done this, you'd be nervous too, damnit,” he grumbled.

“What's there to be nervous about?” Adrian inquired, tipping his head slightly. “You love Sypha, and she loves you; I see no reason for either of you to suddenly get cold feet. For one thing, Sypha would chase you down and sit on you...”

It got a weak, reluctant smile, then Trevor blew out a tired breath.

“....don't.... don't tell Anna about this, okay?”

Adrian's eyebrows went up, and he leaned back slightly in his chair.

“About what? I think she'd expect your agitation...”

“No, that's not...” Trevor grimaced a little. “I have no damn idea how they found out, but apparently her family figured out I was getting married. If I had to blame someone, it'd be fucking Janaro, trying one last time to cause some shit...”

Adrian just watched his boyfriend pace, taking his own temper in hand at the thought of Janaro trying to ruin things yet again. He wouldn't put it past the man, really... He really just did _not_ seem to understand that Anna wanted nothing to do with him.

“So they found out, and...” After a moment Adrian made the connection and straightened abruptly. “Someone's arrived, haven't they? Last minute?”

“....yeah,” and Trevor grimaced a little. “Uncle Miguel and Aunt Rosa. Anna's parents. Since they don't have Anna's contact details they sent me a message, basically demanding that I put them up while they're here. I was damn glad to tell them I couldn't, but.... Hell, they will definitely try to crash the wedding, and I don't want Anna to _know_.”

“Why not?”

“Because they will walk _all_ the way over her and not give a damn about it,” Trevor snapped, punching his fist into his palm. “Try to dictate every last little thing and then when she doesn't give in-”

Adrian leaned back slightly, then half-smiled.

“Well, at least you don't expect Anna to actually listen to them,” he said genially. “But would you rather she be forewarned, or caught off guard? We've seen what happens when she's prepared for a fight versus reacting to one.”

Trevor grimaced again.

“...they're her _parents_ ,” he said after a long minute.

“So I'll greet them and do the introductions,” Adrian replied, reaching over to put a hand on Trevor's shoulder. “I doubt it will be pleasant for anyone, but Anna should know her parents are coming to cause trouble and be allowed to prepare for whatever fight you think will happen.”

“I just...” Trevor leaned on Adrian frustration shifting to unhappiness. It struck Adrian again that Trevor and Anna were truly alike, more like siblings than cousins, and he rubbed Trevor's back soothingly. “She's not fragile, but she's not... _well_ either. I don't want this to knock her down again. I don't think I could... handle that.”

“All the more reason to tell her,” Adrian said firmly. “Forewarned is forearmed, and we should do everything we can _to_ disarm them. I'll inform my parents, and they'll add the names to the list so that they're allowed to enter. That should be disorienting, and I'll ensure I'm alerted to provide escort to avoid them running into Anna before we're ready for it.”

“...could handle it myself, _without_ involving her.”

“Who's not getting involved and why do you think it's a good idea?” Anna asked, poking her head into the room.

Trevor jolted, then turned and huffed at her, making Anna smile sweetly before she stepped in and closed the door. Adrian couldn't help but smile back, not entirely able to keep from admiring how she looked in the soft green-to-blue ombre gown she'd agreed to wear.

He was going to have some fun removing that later, if everything went well...

“Sypha's ready, by the way,” she said, straightening the fall of Trevor's jacket. “Her family's a bit over-exuberant, so I thought I'd come check on you two. What's wrong?”

Trevor opened his mouth. Closed it. Then looked away.

“S'nothin...”

Adrian rolled his eyes.

“Your parents have come for the wedding,” he said.

Anna blinked. Stared at him for a moment, then at Trevor who was now glaring. Adrian watched Anna's face, her green eyes flicking a little, then prudently stepped back as fire flared in them and she scowled at her cousin.

“ _That's_ what you've been fussing over these past few days, isn't it?” she demanded. “You _knew_ , and you didn't want to tell me!”

Trevor raised his hands defensively, backing away as Anna marched towards him.

“How long have you known?” she demanded, poking him in the chest. “Since when?!”

It was really kind of funny to see Trevor—just over six feet and heavily muscled—backing away from his smaller, slighter cousin. Since staying uninvolved seemed to be the more sensible idea—no point in getting that temper turned on him just yet—Adrian stayed silent, and only raised an eyebrow when Trevor shot him a pleading look.

“Since the day after we got Janaro booted from the mission!” Trevor squawked, trying to duck away as Anna poked him again, sharply. Adrian hid a smile; for the non-confrontational one, she certainly knew how to get her answers... Or perhaps that was just because she knew Trevor, and knew he wouldn't _give_ her those answers without getting physical. “They mailed me, and I told them to fuck off!”

Judging by the slant of her shoulders, Anna was not convinced, but she did stop poking at him.

“They wanted us to put them up, I told them to get bent, not to mention get lost,” he continued, a little less frantically now that Anna wasn't actively attacking. “And then about an hour ago, I got another message that said they were here, and on their way to the house...”

“And you would rather what, I be blindsided the way I was with...?!”

“No!” Trevor protested vehemently. “I didn't want you to know at _all_ , damnit! I was gonna take care of it...”

Anna's posture suggested she was thinking _really hard_ about slugging her cousin, so Adrian stepped up and put his hands on her shoulders, gently running his thumbs along her spine. She leaned back into his touch, and he felt tension sliding away as he very lightly massaged her skin.

“Trevor, I'm not a child,” she said finally, sighing a little. “I know you're trying to make up for how _our_ childhood was, but believe me, you don't have to....”

He looked away, embarrassed, and Adrian dropped a small kiss on top of Anna's carefully arranged hair.

“It will be a very uncomfortable situation, I expect,” he murmured.

“Mn... probably. I didn't exactly tell them I was going anywhere,” And he didn't have to see her face to know she was blushing.

Trevor's eyebrows went up in surprise.

“You didn't?”

Anna shook her head a little, carefully, then reached up and pulled one of Adrian's hands until he wrapped his arms around her snugly. Given the smallest of shivers, he was more than willing to do this, and cuddled her firmly.

“You think I was oblivious to their attitude, but I wasn't Trevor,” she said softly. “I knew if I told them I'd applied for college, they would just tell me I wasn't good enough. Never mind that I managed to keep my grades well above average, and _certainly_ better than the rest of my cousins...”

“So you left, and never looked back?” Adrian murmured.

“...I looked back,” she said softly. “I couldn't help it. But I knew I couldn't _go_ back. I couldn't be in their sphere of influence, not if I wanted to see what the world could offer.”

Cautiously Trevor moved in, putting his arms around them both; Adrian smiled a little, feeling more tension ease out of Anna, as she leaned her head against her cousin's broad chest.

“You completely cut them off, and you wonder why I'm worried about them showing up now?” he grumbled a little.

“No, Trevor, I do understand. But Adrian's more right about this than you are; I don't _like_ being surprised by this sort of thing, you know that. Seeing...” she shuddered, and both men reflexively hugged her tighter, making her squeak a little. “I would rather _know_ potential issues than be caught off guard. I was frozen stiff because I couldn't get my brain to work. I don't want to freeze now. I don't think it'll be fun, I don't think anyone will _enjoy_ it, but... maybe it needs to be done.”

Adrian nuzzled her carefully, then kissed Trevor's cheek as the other man sighed unhappily.

“I'll inform my parents, adjust a few things, and go tell Sypha, shall I?” he said, very carefully extricating himself from the sandwich hug. He didn't necessarily _want_ to, but this was something they needed to discuss together, without extra listening ears. “How long ago did they mail?”

“...'bout an hour. So they should be halfway here...”

Adrian nodded, kissed both of them again, then stepped out to go and make some last second adjustments.

-

“You've really been fussed about this every since the day after?” Anna asked after a long minute of silence had passed.

“....yeah,” Trevor sighed a little, dropping his chin on her head. It was nice to be cuddled by him; usually his hugs were tight, but they were also quick, over far too soon. “How the hell they found out...”

“...probably.... Probably _him,”_ Anna acknowledged reluctantly. “I don't know whether to be impressed he remembered that sort of thing, appalled, or just annoyed. He certainly never seemed interested in contacting them when we were... cohabiting. You were my only exception.”

“Damn good thing too,” Trevor grumbled.

It made her smile, even as she pulled back a little.

“It's not anyone's fault, Trevor,” she said gently. “It's just one of those things that is, and now we have to deal with it.”

“....yeah, but can you? Not that you're not a tiny badass powerhouse, but...”

It was a fair question; Quinn was always going to have the power to knock her down, but she couldn't say the same about her parents.

“I don't know, but... I know I have all of you,” she said finally. “I'm pretty sure Adrian will be glued to my side when he's not being the Polite Host at them.” And she giggled a little. “He's just as protective as you are, if for entirely different reasons.”

Trevor scoffed a little, finally releasing her from the hug when she pulled back further.

“We can feed them, and see about getting them a hotel room if they're really going to stay,” she continued meditatively. “But I don't think they will. Oh, maybe a day or two until they can get back, but... I think the only reason they got _here_ in the first place was because of him, but _we're_ not staying. We'll be gone in two weeks, and they are most _certainly_ not invited to come along.”

Trevor snorted a little, and pushed at her gently.

“....so does this mean I'm forgiven for keeping secrets?”

“No, but I'll get you back for that later,” she said with a wry smile.

“...No biting ducks. Please?”

Anna laughed, and gently pushed him back.

“No biting ducks,” she agreed. Then smirked. “Just several embarrassing childhood stories~”

“Ah, _fuck_. I take it back, can I have the ducks instead?”

“Nope~”

-

Adrian nodded absently, admittedly not paying as much attention as he should have to Sypha's Aunt Felicia. She was up there in age, and luckily didn't seem to notice his inattentiveness as the guests continued to mill around the backyard, taking in the decorations that Anna had gotten fabricated for the event.

Admittedly, most of the guests were Sypha's family; aunts, uncles, cousins, and her grandfather, who seemed to be enjoying the spray from the fountain. He knew peripherally that Charri, Eliza, and their children were there as well, and a few of Trevor's co-workers from the warehouse, but where they were he wasn't certain.

Admittedly he was mostly trying to keep his attention on his datapad, waiting for the small signal that would tell him Anna's parents had arrived. He decidedly didn't want her to meet them _alone_.

Both Trevor and Anna had come out of the house looking at peace with one another—Trevor had acquired a plate and something to eat as well, something Adrian was silently glad of, since Trevor hadn't actually managed to eat breakfast before they'd left their rental home—and split off amicably enough. He'd been tempted to follow his darling wife, but Lisa had gotten there first, and pulled her off to talk about something.

He half-smiled, shaking his head slightly; knowing his mother, it was probably the plants. He'd had no idea both his mother and his wife had such and interest in horticulture, but it was nice; though Anna was still shy and somewhat diffident around his parents, he knew she appreciated the kindness that was their attention. Even if she still sometimes wasn't able to reconcile the huge difference between them and her own.

Adrian couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the right decision, admittedly. It was clear enough that Anna's parents were going to raise _some_ sort of fuss, according to Trevor. He was trying to be optimistic about finally meeting his in-laws, but at the same time...

His pad trilled softly, and he looked down at it, then smiled at Aunt Felicity when she peered at him.

“My apologies, but I'm needed at the door. It was nice talking to you.”

It wouldn't do to be impolite to his _other_ in-laws, after all. He was half-expecting some of Sypha's large family to want to come along after they were done with the planet surveying.

Quickly he made for the front door, not sure if he was nervous because he was meeting Anna's parents, or if he was nervous because he already had an unfavorable impression of them and wasn't sure he would treat them with the proper amount of politness.

Miguel and Rosa Torres were looking somewhat agog when he met them in the living room, and he took a moment to assess them silently. They were almost of a height, not much taller than Anna; the red in her hair clearly came from her mother, but the eyes had to come from farther back in her ancestry, as both of them had dark eyes. Rosa's looked to be almost black, while Miguel's were a deep brown. They had a pinched look to them, envy and avarice in equal measure, and he mentally steeled himself; these people might have given his Anna her life, but she had managed to walk far from their path, and they clearly weren't going to be the types to take that _well_.

“Welcome,” he said finally, plastering a polite smile on his face. It didn't reach his eyes and he knew it, but neither one seemed to notice. “You're Trevor's aunt and uncle, aren't you? It's a surprise you were able to make it on such short notice. I'd apologize for him, but...”

But he knew perfectly well that Trevor had gone and never looked back outside of Anna, and Anna had done almost the same thing. The fact that neither one of them had gone back, or seemed to have _any_ fond childhood memories told him more than enough.

“Hmph. Ungrateful boy,” Miguel replied after a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. “We took him in, the least he could do is let us know he's getting married!”

Adrian lightly bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something rude; he would save that for if Anna needed a rescue.

“Trevor's had other things on his mind, admittedly,” Adrian replied, lightly tucking his hands into his pockets. “We're in the final stages of getting ready to leave on a long trip, I'm afraid, and things can indeed get lost in the shuffle.”

Miguel sniffed his opinion of that, looking discontent.

“Everyone is in the back garden, so if you'll follow me?”

They did, though he was quite sure they were cataloging everything they walked passed and assessing it for the monetary value.

“You're the one who survived that dreadful planet, aren't you?” Rosa asked. Her voice carried less of an accent than her husband's, but it was only a shade more polite. “With my daughter and those other two?”

“Yes,” he nodded genially, pushing open the door to the back yard. “I owe them my life, and am very grateful to share mine with them.”

“... _how_ grateful?”

“More than words can say,” he replied smoothly. refusing to rise to the bait.

He cast a quick glance over the gathering, and hid a smile; Trevor was on the far side of the garden, Sypha at his side, and Anna not more than a few feet from them, talking to Sypha's grandfather. Sypha looked resplendent in her black-to-blue ombre gown, wearing a crown of flowers over her sheer blue veil. The veil itself had been Anna's sneakiest gift; embroidered in n the middle was the Belmont crest. He remembered Trevor's groan, and Sypha's delighted laugh when she'd presented it, and he felt his smile softening around the edges. That crest was something Sypha had adopted almost immediately, and it was prominent on almost all the decorations, despite Trevor's half-hearted protests.

He frankly had found it rather cute, not to mention heartwarming. And he was quite sure Trevor was the same, he just had to bluster and protests about it first.

“We didn't miss the ceremony, did we?” Rosa asked, and for a moment, there was almost.. _concern_. That quickly faded when her tone turned snippy. “After all, the bride and groom aren't meant to see one another _before_ then.”

“Ah, well, Trevor and Sypha are a little more eclectic in their views; Trevor's not necessarily comfortable with something elaborate, and he's _definitely_ not fond of an old-fashioned views that were created simply to prevent the groom from running away before he was wed because the lady he was contracted to wasn't _pretty_ enough,” Adrian replied dryly. “I've been told their ceremony will be something very simple, and Anna's playing Trevor's best lady.”

The small scoff of disapproval didn't go unnoticed, but he ignored it.

“It's supposed to be best _man_.”

“Well, I did offer, but Trevor preferred my wife, so I didn't protest.” And he grinned slightly. “Rather, Sypha decided that if we were going to be like _that_ , I was going to be dubbed her man of honor. We played with the idea of having a mock sword fight, but there simply wasn't time for us to learn how along with all the other things we've been busy with.”

The silence at his side had him stifling an innocent smile, even as he pulled out his data pad and sent a ping to Anna. This wasn't a conversation she'd want to have more than once, he knew, and providing her with a chance to have it privately was honestly the best option. Among the guests, she'd try to keep things civil. Polite.

Alone she might actually be able to tell them off like they deserved.

He saw her head go down briefly before she looked around; since no one else would have reason to call her, he knew that _she_ knew what was coming. She turned and said something to Trevor and Sypha, and Adrian was a _little_ sorry to cast the cloud over their day, but...

Well, judging by Trevor's gestures, Anna was having a hard time talking him out of tagging along.

“Why are we waiting here?” Rosa asked after a long minute.

“Because I know Anna doesn't like to be surprised, and she's already had a very rude one this past week, so we're keeping that to a minimum,” he replied calmly. “She has a habit of throwing things, and I'm sure she would feel bad about that.”

By the way her parents went stiff, he was willing to guess that he'd correctly pinged on the reason they were _really_ there. Not that it was hard to guess, not with their supposition of _who_ had sent for them. He was vaguely curious as to how Janaro had gotten them here so fast, but on the whole, he was quite sure that if he knew, he really _would_ attempt to find and punch the man, which would be... Counter-productive.

Still very tempting, though.

“We were _invited_.”

“No, sir, you were not,” Adrian replied cordially. “You were _sent_ by someone who has a hefty grudge against Trevor, and an obsession with my wife. Trevor's own commentary on his past with you tends to be quite colorful, with Anna being his only bright point. Anna prefers to not speak of it at all, and I suspect it's because she's blocked most of it out for her own self-preservation. You were allowed in to reduce the difficulties we expect you to cause, and any conversations you wish to have with members of _my_ family will be in private so that they are not constrained by the other guests.”

He turned to face them properly as Anna started across the yard; she hadn't managed to convince Sypha or Trevor to stay behind, but perhaps that was for the best. A show of solidarity might not go amiss, really...

Miguel's face was red and his eyes were narrow with anger; Rosa was alternating between staring at him, and watching the trio approach, her expression somewhere between upset and calculating.

“Please be aware that if they ask if of me, I will remove you,” Adrian said pleasantly. “I value the mental health of my wife and secondary partners much more than you.”

As Anna came within reach, he extended a hand, and smiled softly as she slipped hers into his, clinging tightly. Her face had a familiar, neutral set that said plainly she didn't want to be doing this, but there was also resignation in her eyes.

“Why don't we step inside,” she suggested. “It's cooler there.”

Not to mention closer to the front door...

“And what if we want to be out here?” her father challenged.

“I'd _insist_ ,” Trevor rumbled, stepping up behind Anna and glaring at his aunt and uncle. “Cause you're not going to ruin today by being petty assholes.”

Anna and Sypha sighed in unison as Miguel spluttered. Adrian simply palmed the glass door open again, and ushered the small group inside.

-

Anna twined her fingers with Adrian's, clinging to him as they walked into the cool air of the house, her parents being more or less pushed along by the fact that there simply was no room for them to get around the boys. He squeezed her hand firmly back, brushing his thumb softly along her knuckles, in a bid to be soothing.

It was a nice thought, at least, but seeing them again after almost ten years wasn't doing her any favors. It wasn't as _bad_ as it had been with Quinn, but her stomach was twisting into knots, and she rather felt like she might be ill if she was forced to speak right away.

Her father's hair had acquired some gray in places, and her mother's face had new lines on them, not necessarily from smiles as they were from pinched looks of disapproval. Rather like the one she was wearing now, actually, disgruntled at the fact that Trevor wasn't going to stand for them trying to push their way into a place where they weren't wanted.

And it _hurt_ to realize that she didn't want them there. For so long she had thought that if she just applied herself, if she could figure out the lofty ideals they had, she could earn their love. But after spending time with Adrian's blood-kin, of seeing the way Vlad and Lisa loved their children without caveats or addendums, it only made the realization harder. And Sypha's noisy, exuberant family who shouted, laughed, and loved freely, accepting her as easily as if she was one of them....

“Why did you come?” she asked quietly.

“Because we found out that Trevor was getting married,” Miguel blustered. “At the last moment too! Ungrateful boy!”

“You didn't give me anything to be grateful _for_ ,” Trevor shot back, glaring. “The only _good_ thing that came out of your house was _Anna_.”

“We took you in! We could have let you become a ward of-”

Rosa fumbled a moment, then frowned. Trevor rolled his eyes.

“At this point, being a ward of the government probably would have been _better_ ,” he said pointedly. “At least they would have made sure I didn't almost die instead of foisting the care of a fifteen year old on a _ten year old_. And then _not caring_ when their own daughter collapsed from exhaustion!”

“She survived,” Miguel said shortly.

“That doesn't make what you did any better,” Adrian put in quietly, still rubbing his thumb along Anna's knuckles. “You were the adults in charge, you should have seen to his care, as well as her care. That is the _duty_ of a parent.”

“I gave em a place to live, and food! And they all survived just fine!”

“Surviving and thriving aren't the same thing,” Anna said softly. “Or did you never wonder why I left without saying anything?I went to college. I went to find out what it was like to have a life beyond being yelled at by people, and belittled. And maybe I didn't do well on my own at first, but this came about _despite_ what you did to me, not _because_ of it.”

“Oh Anna, you're exaggerating,” Rosa said, her voice soft and coaxing. “We did the best we could for you!”

Anna pressed her lips together, clinging to Adrian. Trevor stepped up on her other side, and his arm came around her shoulders, a warm, comforting weight.

“You didn't do jack shit,” he said bluntly. “When Jessamine and Tamara were screaming at the kids, you demanded they shut up so you could hear the vidscreen, not because they were saying unkind stuff. When Julio and Anise got into trouble, you'd scream at them too, whether they deserved it or not. Hell, when the shining light of the damn family, Stazi, was up on her high horse about some bullshit, no one would call her out for being mean and miserable to the rest of them! Anna did _everything_ around the house, _and_ managed to keep her grades up enough to be on the honor roll.”

Rosa blinked, taken aback by Trevor's vehemence. Anna just leaned on him and took a breath, then tugged Adrian closer, while also reaching around behind Trevor to wrap her hand around Sypha's. Sypha squeezed reassuringly as Adrian changed his grip, putting an arm around her waist even as he caught her hand again with his other one.

It helped. She was not alone here, and even though it hurt, she knew she wasn't drowning either. The memories would come, probably, and they would bite her, make her wish, want, hope, and regret, but she was older now, and a little stronger, especially with these three beside her.

“No one invited you,” Anna said quietly. “And you're not welcome here. I'm sure my husband's already told you the reason we agreed to let you in, but we never decided if you could stay...”

“Wait... _husband_?! We never gave permission-”

“Mr. Torres, I'm quite sure you must have realized by now that Anna is an adult,” Adrian interrupted, his voice coolly polite. “Capable of making her own decisions on how to live _her_ life. Our marriage was very quiet, but we _are_ married, and I do not appreciate the tone you're attempting to take with my _wife_.”

Stressed or not, being called his wife still made her warm, and Anna shifted a little to lean more firmly against his chest. His arm tightened slightly, and she took comfort from that, even as she hoped she wasn't leaning to hard on his strength. They were _all_ going to need a break to reassemble after this...

“I don't need anyone's permission to marry,” she agreed, curling her fingers a little more around both Adrian's and Sypha's hands. “Or to be a doctor. Or to move with my family, to where we're choosing to go.”

“You're _not_ welcome to come, by the way,” Trevor added.

“Oh, but surely you'll need-”

“No,” and her parents startled at the firmness of her tone. “I don't need, much less _want_ , anything from you. In fact the only thing I _might_ consider is you not trying to contact me, or Trevor, or anyone else here _ever_ again.”

“You think you have the right to-”

“You know what, fuck off,” Trevor snapped. “ _We_ grew up. Your stupid threats and attempts at manipulation are bullshit, and we both _know_ they're bullshit. _I_ sure as fuck don't want you to stay, and it's _my_ goddamn wedding!”

“Mine,” Sypha murmured.

“...and hers.”

Anna couldn't help smiling a little; it was sort of ironic that the only way Trevor was willing to acknowledge the ceremony as his was because he was trying to throw her parents out.

“Frankly, I'll tell you the same thing I told her stalker,” Adrian said, his tone pleasantly cutting. “When a person moves their belongings out, and cuts all ties, that's a sign clear enough to be read _from Earth_ , that they want nothing to do with you. I'm honestly impressed that Trevor actually _allowed_ you to contact him.”

“....only because I didn't want them trying to guilt Anna,” Trevor mumbled, flushing a little bit.

Anna smiled up at her cousin, and leaned her head against his arm.

“I'm siding with Trevor,” Sypha said after a moment. “This is supposed to be a good and happy day, and you're definitely not the sorts to contribute to that. I'd like you to leave.”

“As would I,” Adrian said, all pretense of politeness gone.

Trevor's hand squeezed her shoulder, and she looked up; when he raised an eyebrow, she sighed a little, nodding.

“You let me live in your house, but I never felt like I was good enough for you,” she said softly, looking at her parents, both red-faced with anger and embarrassment both. “I knew that if I didn't leave without a word, you'd find a way to make me stay. Because you never wanted to do anything that would cause you an inconvenience, and that's what my leaving would cause. Well, I left. You lived. I'm not going back. And I'm siding with the people who _really_ care about me. No one wants you to be here, so I also think it would be best if you left.”

“But Anna... we're _your_ parents,” Rosa said, hurt clear in her voice. “We _love_ you.”

Anna flinched. Hard.

As Trevor squeezed her shoulders hard for comfort, Adrian released her to step between her and her parents.

“....madam, you need to leave, _now._ ”

He was no longer even _attempting_ to sound polite. His voice was frozen, just a step shy of what she thought he might sound like when he was truly, _absolutely_ furious.

She put her hand on his back and felt a small tremble; saw the hands he had clenched into fists, and curled her fingers in his jacket. His back all but eclipsed her view of the people that had neglected to raise her with any sort of affection, and she knew _exactly_ why he was doing this.

“We're not going anywhere until we-”

“That wasn't a request,” Adrian interrupted in that sharp, icy tone. “You _will_ leave now, or you will be arrested for trespassing, not to mention attempting to cause both my wife and my boyfriend unnecessary mental distress. We added you to the list as a courtesy, but you were not invited, and you are assuredly _not_ welcome.”

“I'll throw you both out myself,” Trevor added, hot contrast to Adrian's icy fury. “How fucking _dare_ you try that bullshit?!”

Of course they dared.... like Quinn, they hadn't changed from the people they had been when she had been younger. But she had. Only this time it wasn't a comfort, it hurt. Oh it hurt so much, to finally let go of that want, that _need_ to have parents who would want her happiness...

Trevor dropped his arm from around her and moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with Adrian as Sypha slipped around the indomitable male wall and pulled Anna into a hug. She wasn't crying, she just felt... _empty._

“....we're going upstairs. Come join us after you see them out,” she said.

“Gotcha.”

Adrian just made a small noise of acknowledgment, reaching back briefly to catch and squeeze Anna's hand before Sypha pulled her away and they left the living room to the two furious men.

-

To say he was furious was an _understatement._ How dare they? How _dare_ they try and manipulate Anna like that? After months of therapy, it was getting easier for her to say the words, less dangerous for _him_ to say them, and by using that one phrase, now they had likely set back that progress by _weeks_.

“The fuck is wrong with you?” Trevor demanded, glaring at his aunt and uncle. “You know how much shit that's going to cause? I should fucking _punch_ you!”

He shifted like he might, but Adrian laid a hand on his arm. Words weren't going to mean a damned thing to these two, but he also wasn't inclined to have Trevor get into trouble for punching them.

“Leave, or be removed,” Adrian said, ice thick in his voice. “I don't care which. But if you try to contact Trevor or Anna again, I swear to you, you will regret it.”

“You can't threaten us!”

“I'm not. I am _telling_ you that I will make your lives a living hell if you do not leave, get on a shuttle to whatever planet and trans-gov spawned you, and _stay there_.”

It wasn't nice _or_ polite of him to loom like this, to threaten the people who had given life to Anna... but he wasn't exactly in a nice or polite frame of mind.

Rosa, a detached part of his mind noted, looked somewhere between bewildered and afraid. Maybe she had meant what she'd said, for some value of the word, but all he could really think was that she'd been trying to manipulate Anna. Miguel looked more furious than anything else, but when Adrian stepped forward, he stepped back.

“If you are about to insult my wife, I would think twice,” Adrian said as the man opened his mouth. “I am not actually opposed to Trevor punching you, or punching you myself. The only reason I do not is because it would upset Anna, and as we will already be doing damage control, I see no point in making it _worse_. Now. Will you leave, or must I summon the police?”

“We just wanted-”

“We don't _care_ ,” Trevor snapped. “You're _not_ wanted now fucking _leave_.”

Adrian squeezed Trevor's arm lightly, then let go; silent signal that if they continued to stall, he wasn't going to stop Trevor from punching anyone. They seemed to recognize that at least, and Miguel grabbed Rosa by the arm, pulling her towards the foyer.

“Never should have taken you in, you ungrateful-”

“Again, I would not finish that. Not unless you want to know what it feels like to be punched in the head.”

“Also? Fuck you. Again,” Trevor added as they followed the pair to the front door; Adrian was damned well going to make sure they _left_. “If you think I'm ungrateful, maybe your stupid ass should sit down and figure out why that is! Oh, wait, that would be critical thinking, and you never do that!”

If he still wasn't so cold, that would have made him smile; Trevor's insults weren't always creative, but they often hit square on the mark.

Before Miguel could try and say anything else, Adrian pulled the front door open, and Trevor planted his hands on both adults, shoving them out. Letting the door close quietly seemed much more theatrical than throwing it shut, and Adrian spent a few moments adjusting the list of invited peoples so that their names weren't on it any longer, and they were, in fact, banned from the house and grounds.

“They have twenty minutes to leave,” Adrian said finally, shoulders slumping a little now that the source of his anger was out of sight. “After that, they get to speak to the police.”

“You are _way_ too damn generous,” Trevor grumbled, slinging an arm around him.

“Yes, well... Again, I accede to what I think Anna would want,” he admitted, leaning his head against Trevor's. “She didn't try to hit anyone, and I will not let myself be baited down to their level.”

“....c'mon, let's go find the girls. Also maybe a drink.”

“No alcohol for you,” Adrian said, feeling a tiny, tired smile breaking through at last. “Anna would be upset.”

“I mean, if she doesn't want a drink after that I'll be shocked, but fiiiine,” Trevor grumbled. “What about the lemon sodas?”

“Those and the small tea cakes, I think,” Adrian agreed. “Let's get them before...”

He wobbled, then locked his knees as Trevor caught him around the waist to keep him upright.

“....y'know what, let's just go find the girls.”

Adrian nodded, allowing Trevor to help him up the stairs.

-

The study was calm and quiet; Anna just leaned her head against Sypha's shoulder as the other woman stroked her back.

“....I'm sorry,” she finally said.

“About what?”

Sypha sounded so baffled by the apology that it made Anna smile, pained though it was.

“That... It's your wedding day, that shouldn't have happened.”

“Nonsense,” Sypha scoffed gently. “It's not your fault.”

“But they're-”

“Adults who are perfectly capable of rational, independent thoughts,” Sypha interrupted. “You're not at fault for them acting like that, Anna. You don't need to apologize for them. _They_ need to apologize for themselves. Except I don't think I'd accept, even if they _did._ ”

And it was clear by her tone that Sypha didn't ever think they _would,_ which was.... well, it probably wasn't wrong.

They both looked up as the door was nudged open and Trevor eased in, half-carrying Adrian. Anna startled, and started to her feet, but Trevor shook his head and came over to them, depositing Adrian next to her on the couch before flopping down next to Sypha.

Adrian promptly wrapped himself around Anna, pressing his face to her hair and taking deep, slow breaths. Anna curled her arms around him in reply, letting her fingers tangle in his sunshine hair.

“They're gone then?” Sypha asked.

“More or less,” and Anna looked over to see Trevor's shrug as he carefully wrapped himself around Sypha, doing his best to avoid mussing her make up or veil even as he sought similar comfort. “Adrian said that they'd have twenty minutes to leave on their own, or they'd get the cops called on them. Personally, I'm in favor of the cops, but that'd mean talking to them, and frankly, I don't wanna do _that_ too.”

Anna huffed a small smile, and felt Adrian's warm breath on her neck as he echoed her.

“Well, it's been dealt with, so that's good,” Sypha said firmly.

“Agreed, but now I _really_ don't want to do a ceremony,” Trevor whined a little.

Sypha sighed tolerantly, and kissed him; Anna averted her eyes, and turned her attention to Adrian, who was trembling slightly.

“....are you all right?” she murmured, ignoring the playful, gentle bickering that started up the moment Sypha and Trevor stopped kissing.

“I don't think I have ever been that angry before,” he said softly, slowly. “I.... very much wanted to feed them to a Ghost Leviathan, I'm afraid....”

She nuzzled up against him softly, letting her hands stroke up his back soothingly.

“You and Trevor both, probably. I'm... I'm sorry they upset you that much...”

He nuzzled at her, then kissed her forehead.

“It's not your fault they chose to act like that... And while I can certainly say I dislike them, I do owe them just enough gratitude for your life that I am willing to let them leave under their own power.”

It made her smile a little, and she hugged him a little more tightly, tucking her forehead up against his neck to breathe in the gentle spice of the cologne he'd selected to wear.

“....thank you, Adrian.”

“Hm?”

“For... for knowing. And c... _loving_. Me.”

He kissed her softly, briefly.

“Always, my light. You know I will do... anything for you.”

She did know, and while sometimes that was a _problem_ , right now it was the soothing balm she needed to help with the way her heart ached.

“....How long can we push back, then?” Trevor asked with a resigned sigh.

“According to the weather data, the moth swarms don't really start for another hour or two, and we _did_ say around sunset was really the right time for it,” Sypha replied. “We were just having the reception first, you know.”

“...no. No I didn't.”

Sypha snorted, and Anna lifted her head a little to watch them, smiling more easily now; this was the family she had made, oddly enough with her own two hands. First by refusing to _not_ love her idiot cousin, then by accepting the offer of friendship when Sypha had extended it, and finally by accepting that Adrian was more than just a friend. It wasn't perfect, and it was still small...

But it was hers, and she loved it.

“So does that mean I can take a nap?” Trevor asked hopefully.

“Only if you set an alarm. We can't _all_ disappear until sunset!” Sypha huffed. “That would be rude.”

“....I mean, I've been worse?”

 _All_ of them made sounds of amusement that time, and Anna freed a hand to reach over and pushed Trevor gently.

“You're a dork, you know this, right?” she asked fondly.

“Hey, I am the epitome of grace and.... uh...”

“You're definitely _not_ ,” Sypha said with a snicker. “But I think I have a better idea anyways. C'mere~”

She bounced up off the couch, and Trevor followed with a small, mock-resigned groan, letting her lead him out of the room. Anna shook her head a little, more amused than anything else; she knew that tone, and since they _had_ the time, wasn't about to try and stop Sypha from having her way about things.

“....should we emulate them?” Adrian asked after a moment.

“Nnnooooo, I think we should save that for after the ceremony,” she replied, blushing. “But... Trevor's idea of a nap wasn't unwarranted. And you definitely need one...”

“You'll... stay with me. Won't you?”

“Yes. Yes, my heart, I'll stay with you. Come on. Let's go find a guest room and try to get some energy back before we have to return to being social.”

-

Personal log, Adrian Tepes

It was not necessarily the fun day we'd all hoped for, but it could have gone much worse than it did. We managed to make it through the ceremony, and as we'd hoped, everyone was enamored by the moths. And no one asked where we'd all vanished to for several hours, for which I am extremely grateful.

We only have two more weeks until we step onto the ship that will take us home. Perhaps now the universe will stop conspiring to cause us difficulties...

Personal log, Anna Torres

In a way, I'm glad for what happened. Glad to know that I've outgrown the need to live up—or down—to their expectations. It hurts, and it will probably hurt for a long time, because I was still... holding onto the hope that maybe they could try to be happy for me, for what I've gained. That maybe they really did love me, they just weren't good at showing it.

But now I can finally let that go. Let _them_ go and never look back again.

Now I look forward. With Adrian, Sypha, and Trevor, I'm going to move forward.


End file.
